ACPS narrows naming choices for four campus spaces to semi-finalists
Second poll features semi-finalists honoring local figures, from NFL champion to beloved educators
Alexandria City Public Schools is in the home stretch of a monthslong process to name four campus spaces, with a second community poll running through Wednesday, November 19 that will help inform the School Board’s final decision next month.
The naming initiative, launched in October following community petitions with more than 100 signatures each, represents a continuation of “The Identity Project” that began in 2020. The process has engaged residents in selecting names that “reflect ACPS community values and honor the significance of each space,” according to the district.
The semi-finalists
At Parker-Gray Stadium on Alexandria City High School’s King Street Campus, the community is choosing between two names for the field. One honors Keith Burns, a 1990 ACHS graduate who played 13 seasons in the NFL, won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and established a foundation that has provided more than 5,000 Thanksgiving baskets to local families.
The other recognizes Army Sgt. DeForest L. Talbert, a T.C. Williams High School running back known as “Touchdown Talbert” who was killed in action July 27, 2004, while serving with the West Virginia Army National Guard during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Talbert name emerged as a write-in during the first community poll.
The Minnie Howard Campus fields could become the Kerry Donley Athletic Field Complex, named for Alexandria’s former mayor and ACHS athletic director whose five daughters all attended ACPS schools and competed in interscholastic sports. The alternative, Titans Territory Athletic Field Complex, would reference the school’s mascot identity forged during the 1971 consolidation of the city’s high schools. Supporters say the name would designate the facility as “a shared, central space accessible to and representative of all high school campuses.” The Titans Territory option also came from a community write-in.
At Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, the media center semi-finalists are Jean B. Reid and Karl F. Smith. Reid, described as “a legend in Alexandria,” served ACPS as a reading specialist from 1971 to 2001 and was celebrated for her extraordinary success teaching children who struggled with reading. She was honored as an Alexandria and Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher.
Smith was a longtime ACPS educator and principal who led several schools, including Naomi L. Brooks Elementary when it was known as Matthew Maury Elementary, and William Ramsay Elementary. He was known for his compassionate leadership and advocacy for equity and underserved students, earning The Washington Post’s Distinguished Educational Leadership Award. The Smith name came from a community write-in.
The Early Childhood Center courtyard has one naming option: Owen’s Place, which would honor Owen Michael Wagner, the late son of the center’s first principal, Heidi Haggerty-Wagner. Wagner aspired to become a teacher like his mother and was dedicated to helping children.
Timeline to decision
The second poll, which opened Monday, will close Nov. 19. All four polls include a “do not name” option for those who prefer leaving spaces unnamed.
The superintendent will present recommendations to the School Board on Dec. 4, followed by a public hearing on Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. The board is scheduled to vote on the final names on Dec. 18.
The naming process follows School Board Policy FFA and Regulation FFA-R, which govern how ACPS facilities are named. Community members can learn more about each semi-finalist and access the poll through the Identity Project webpage at the ACPS website.
Questions about the process can be directed to ask@acps.k12.va.us.