Six schools in MCPS are named after slave owners, and Richard Montgomery High School is one of them. 

Richard Montgomery was a war hero born and raised in Ireland. During the American Revolutionary War, he was a major general in the Continental Army, and he is best known for a failed invasion of Canada. Historians claim he never actually set foot in Montgomery County, and he became a slave owner after marrying into his wife’s family. 

The other five schools considered for renaming are Thomas S. Wootton High, Montgomery Blair High, Colonel Zadok Magruder High, Francis Scott Key Middle, and John Poole Middle. These schools have been under consideration for renaming due to their racist namesakes since 2019.

Now, with the Montgomery County Board of Education’s updated school naming policy going into effect, the Board will only consider renaming a school if members of the school community submit a petition that is approved by the Board. These requests will be considered using the new process illustrated in “Policy FFA: Naming School Facilities.”If a school is to be renamed after an individual, the person must be deceased and have “made a demonstrated contribution to the community, county, state, or nation, and/or exemplifies the core values of the Board.” 

If the Board pursues renaming any of the schools, it must suggest up to four name options and establish a committee of representatives from the community who will list these options in order of preference, as detailed in the policy.  

As of today, 4,704 people have signed a petition to rename RMHS, but the community has not formally proposed the idea so the school board has yet to take the next steps. The alternative names put forth in the petition include Emily Catherine Edmonson, an outspoken abolitionist who worked alongside Frederick Douglass, Lilian Beatrice Brown, a groundbreaking educator who inspired underprivileged kids to pursue higher education, and Gladys Young, an advocate for equal rights known as the ‘Harriet Tubman of Montgomery County’.

Students, families, staff, and alumni were invited to attend an informational Zoom meeting on October 12 to learn more about the Montgomery County Board of Education’s updated school naming policy, as was detailed in an email sent out to RMHS students. “From the meeting, the best resource I was introduced to was the policy of changing the school’s name and what kind of factors they consider,” freshman Hannah Solomon said. “I do not think that the name is reflecting the student body well, and I think it’s good that MCPS is trying to get input.”

However, the effectiveness of outreach methods for such community meetings are debatable. “I think for something as big as renaming schools it probably could have been advertised better…they probably could have done an announcement on Canvas, because I think we’re all connected to MCPS via Canvas or at least Synergy,” sophomore Vihaan Rathi said. 

Student apathy is another addressable subject that can hinder renaming processes. “I mean, I think if enough people like signing the petition, then the county will probably approve it. But I honestly don’t know if that many people care,” freshman Gwenyth Gibson said. 

While some people are indifferent to the prospect of a name change, others have stronger opinions as to whether RM should be renamed. 

“In my opinion, when you hear the name Richard Montgomery, you think more of the history and tradition of the school. This includes the families that have walked through the doors, the community support, the clubs…the great sports teams, and academic excellence,” assistant principal Kevin Jefferson said.“I don’t know of anyone who thinks of the man himself.”

Some students believe tackling disparities in MCPS like the opportunity gap and racial inequalities are a better use of spending the budget needed to rebrand entire schools.  “I don’t think that something just like renaming, you know, this school or this county or the various places named after Richard Montgomery are nearly as important as actually fixing racial inequalities,” Gibson said. 

Other students support the change and view it as necessary. “Back then, [Richard Montgomery] was considered a war hero. Now, some may even dispute the moral validity of the battles he was fighting,” Rathi said. “We’ve named an institution after, or we named a place of learning after someone who was complicit in such a vital institution…I mean, a name is a name isn’t going to be too much, but I think it’s still best. We don’t name things and celebrate people who have held slaves.”

Despite the varying opinions on the updated renaming policies, RM remains a place where students can raise their voices to advocate for change and express themselves.

“This school is the most diverse high school in the county. Changing the name of the school will not change that history or diversity,” Mr. Jefferson said. “If names need to be changed because of the history of the person the school is named after, we really need to examine other places outside of the school.”