An elementary school in Hillsborough is set to see its name change in the coming months.

The Orange County Schools Board of Education voted at its Monday meeting to change the name of Cameron Park Elementary School. The unanimous vote drops the namesake of Paul Carrington Cameron, who had a documented history as a slave owner.

This name change comes as the school district is implementing a 14-step strategy to address “persistent racial intolerance, inequities and academic disparities in our district.” Among the steps includes an initiative to “review the names of buildings in our district to examine their origin and compliance.”

Paul Carrington Cameron was one of the richest men in North Carolina during the 19th century. Historical studies revealed he owned 1,900 enslaved people before his death in 1853.

The school board also considered a name change for C.W. Stanford Middle School at its Monday meeting. The Durham Herald-Sun reports school board members requested more information be examined before approving a removal, however, with descendants of its namesake Charles Whitson Stanford Sr. objecting to any change.

Stanford served as an Orange County school board member from 1941 to 1967 and the board’s chair for 16 years. His service during the period of segregation in the county, however, clouds his tenure.

Feedback on school names submitted as board materials Monday night reflect community input suggesting the Hillsborough school’s name should be changed due to the segregated schools receiving less funding than others in the district under Stanford’s leadership. Orange County Schools Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder and other school board members also cited accounts of community members who remembered Stanford not allowing Black community members to speak at meetings during his tenure.

Ultimately, the board voted to have district staff bring more information to present at an upcoming work session on Stanford’s history and legacy.

The Cameron Park Elementary School name will be changed over the summer, according to the Orange County School Board.

Photo via WTOC.

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