Jacksonville School Replaces KKK-Affiliated Name

Sammy Mack / StateImpact Florida

Nathan B. Forrest High will get a new name

Nathan B. Forrest High—the Jacksonville school named for the Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader—has a new name.

The Duval County School Board voted to rename school #241 on Tuesday. Starting in the fall it will be Westside Senior High.

From the moment it was named in 1959, there’s been controversy over Forrest High, home of the Rebels.

In 2008 the school board elected not to rename the majority African American school.  The votes fell along color lines.

READ MORE: What’s In A High School Name? History And Power

But it’s a different school board now. And last month, the board members and superintendent voted unanimously to change the name.

Community members and current students were given a chance to weigh in before the board reconvened and a new name was chosen. Naming the school for a person wasn’t an option; there’s now a prohibition against naming schools for people—alive or dead.

Westside is the school’s neighborhood.