Frequently Asked Questions

When we name a school after a person, we are choosing to hold their memory in highest regard. It is a symbol of lifting up their legacy and memorializing the ideals for which they stood, so we may carry them forward in future generations.

Though Zebulon Baird Vance is a former North Carolina Governor, U.S. Senator, and celebrated figure throughout our state, he was also a white supremacist and, as a slave-owning officer of the Confederate Army, was also committed specifically to the false idea of Black inferiority. Once he was able to serve again in elected office (after a short prohibition, due to disloyalty to his country, barred him from doing so), Zebulon B. Vance used his positions in government to protect racial discrimination and segregation.

That is not a legacy fit for future generations nor reflective of the values of our school's community.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education has committed to a full review of school names across the district, but our school has the honor of being the first to change-- we get to be the first to choose an identity for our school that will stand the test of time.

Several public meetings will be held virtually as part of the renaming process. Use this website to get updates about dates, times, and how to join. Additionally, you can submit a name for consideration on or before September 8. Once the Committee has chosen the Top 3 names, members of the community will also be able to submit a survey response about their support for those recommendations from September 23-25.

In accordance with the school board's policy governing how to rename a school, a School Name Advisory Committee has been established by our principal, Erik Turner. As part of this committee's work, a series of public meetings will be held for other members of the community to provide additional input and feedback.

The School Name Advisory Committee's work will end by providing three recommendations to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education for a final decision. You can weigh in about your support for those three recommendations by submitting a survey response between September 23-25.

School officials anticipate that the new name and all related branding, including sports uniforms, will be in place for the 2021-22 school year.

Students, like other members of our community, are welcome to Submit a Name on or before September 8. In addition, once the School Name Advisory Committee has selected its Top 3 name recommendations, current students will have an opportunity to provide their feedback in a schoolwide poll from September 23-25. While the final decision rests with the CMS Board of Education, the School Name Advisory Committee will provide the results of the schoolwide poll as part of its recommendations to the school board.

A budget review process is currently underway. The review is being conducted to determine what the school needs and what district support is available to support the transition. Findings from this review are not yet available.