Alexandria School Board unanimously approves naming four facilities after community leaders
Board overrides superintendent's recommendation, honors former Mayor Kerry Donley, NFL player Keith Burns
The Alexandria City School Board voted unanimously on Thursday to name four school facilities after community leaders, overriding Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt’s recommendation to approve only one of the proposals.
The board approved naming the athletic fields at the Minnie Howard campus the Kerry Donley Athletic Field Complex, the field at Parker-Gray Stadium the Keith Burns Field, and the media center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, the Jean B. Reid Media Center, and the courtyard at the Early Childhood Center, “Owen’s Place.”
Kay-Wyatt had recommended only Owen’s Place move forward, citing narrow polling margins and budget constraints for the other proposals.
Board member Donna Kenley made the motion to approve all four naming proposals and directed the superintendent to develop a standardized process for philanthropic support of facility naming.
Honoring Donley and Burns
Vice Chair Christopher Harris spoke about his personal connections to both Donley and Burns before the vote.
“Kerry introduced me. He endorsed my first campaign,” Harris said of Donley, who served as Alexandria’s mayor from 1996 to 2003 and later as athletic director at what was then T.C. Williams High School. “The contributions that he made to the city are immeasurable. He did not have to serve as athletic director. He did not have to put the time into this city that he did, but he did because he loved the city.”
Donley died suddenly in July 2022 at age 66.
Harris said he watched Burns play football when he was in high school.
“Being able to recognize someone while they’re still here, it means a lot,” Harris said. “We put so much emphasis on recognizing those who are no longer here. And I’m a big believer of giving individuals their flowers while they’re here.”
Burns, a 1990 T.C. Williams graduate, played 13 NFL seasons and won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos. He currently coaches at Howard University.
Community engagement
The naming decisions followed a community engagement process that included two rounds of polling and a Dec. 11 public hearing, at which 13 speakers urged the board to approve all four proposals.
Owen’s Place received the strongest community support at 75 percent. The Donley proposal led with 49 percent, Reid received 50.1 percent, and Burns narrowly led with 40.1 percent.
At the public hearing, former Mayor and U.S. Rep. Jim Moran compared Donley to George Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
David Speck, speaking Thursday on behalf of Donley supporters, said the effort began nearly three years ago and offered to cover any costs exceeding budgeted allocations.
“We would not be here today naming a new field at a new school were it not for the leadership and stewardship that Kerry gave to this city over many years,” Speck said.
