Fairfax County Board Approves Name Change For Lee District

FRANCONIA, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved Supervisor Rodney Lusk's board matter to change the name of his district from Lee District to Franconia District.

After a two-and-a-half-year process, Lusk said the name Franconia was the overwhelming preference for those who participated in an effort to decide whether to change the name of the Lee District.

Fairfax County Board Chairman Jeffrey McKay, who represented the Lee District on the board of supervisors for 12 years prior to getting elected chairman, said at Tuesday's board meeting that he supports the name change because it now recognizes a geographic area that is at the root of the history of the area.

McKay said he is hoping county staff can establish a grant program that will provide funding to nonprofit groups with Lee District in their name that wish to change their names to Franconia District.

The Lee District was one of the original six magisterial districts of Fairfax County and was likely named after the Lee family based on the original district’s location and boundaries.

Fairfax County's Redistricting Advisory Committee was tasked with recommending if the Lee District should be renamed. The committee's final report recommended the board consider a name change "given the context of all the Confederate names that are in use within Fairfax County and the significance of the Lee name to our area."

The district was home to Robert E. Lee High School, which the Fairfax County School Board renamed as John R. Lewis High School in 2020. The Fairfax County Park Authority removed the Robert E. Lee name from its recreation center, renaming it Lee District Rec Center.

Voters can expect to see the name change to Franconia reflected on the ballot when they go to vote for district supervisor and school board member in November 2023.

RELATED:

• Fairfax County Supervisor Lusk To Request New Name For Lee District
• Potential Lee District Name Change Faces Opposition In Survey
• Robert E. Lee High School In Springfield To Be Renamed