Orange County Finalizes Process for Renaming Hillsborough Schools

Orange County Schools has finalized the process for renaming Cameron Park Elementary and C.W. Stanford Middle schools in Hillsborough.

The schools’ respective principals will lead the community process for the name changes — with district staff, residents, parents and students serving on separate renaming committees. The district said it hopes to have the schools renamed in time for the next school year, with the vote for the final name and renaming ceremony happening in the summer.

The school board voted in February to change the names of Cameron Park Elementary and C.W. Stanford Middle, which comes as the district strives to improve how it addresses racial inequities, intolerance and academic disparities. A 14-step strategy was outlined in a recent school board policy — among the steps being an initiative to “review the names of buildings in our district to examine their origin and compliance.”

Orange County Schools voted 5-2 in favor of moving ahead with the renaming committees, with the dissenting votes coming from Bonnie Hauser and Will Atherton.

Both Hauser and Atherton noted that they approved of the plan and how transparent it would be, but voiced concerns about the timing. Hauser said she did not know “how we can ask our schools to take this on now” amid the COVID-19 pandemic and C.W. Stanford Middle searching for a principal.

“I like the plan, especially the authority that has been given to the principals and the schools,” said Hauser. “I’m just not comfortable with the timing, especially given the challenges our schools are facing with reopening.”

Superintendent Monique Felder said her staff will be available to support schools throughout the process and that the decision wouldn’t be “any less stressful or difficult” if the board elected to delay the renaming.

“I don’t know that any time would be the right time, so to speak,” said Felder, “but I do think by providing support and doing it together, this is something that we can complete in an expeditious manner.”

The board also took action to leave the door open for the schools to be renamed after people.

According to the district’s policy, the name of a person “will not be considered” in the renaming process and preference will be shown for names with recognized geographic or historic significance. However, the board voted 5-2 to allow the possibility of renaming the schools after a person — with Hauser and Atherton again providing the dissenting votes.

Cameron Park Elementary was named after Paul Carrington Cameron, who had a documented history as a slave owner. Cameron Village in Raleigh also changed its name earlier this year, dropping its connection to the Cameron family.

C.W. Stanford Middle was named after Charles Whitson Stanford Sr., a long-time school board chairman for the district who served from 1941 to 1967.

The case of C.W. Stanford Middle saw mixed opinions when school staff reviewed feedback from community members and school board members. Descendants of Stanford’s shared their thoughts about the proposed change on February 8 and described him as a man who led during a time of systems enforcing discrimination instead of someone who actively upheld those systems.

Some who provided feedback, however, pointed to how segregated schools saw inequitable funding during Stanford’s leadership and a lack of urgency to integrate following the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954.

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Orange County Finalizes Process for Renaming Hillsborough Schools

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