New Annandale Elementary School Named Mason Crest

The new elementary school at the Lacey site in Annandale located at 3705 Crest Drive has been named .

The Fairfax County School Board voted to the name the new elementary school at its regular meeting on Thursday night. Sandy Evans, who represents Mason District on the board, offered the motion at the meeting and the vote to approve the name was unanimous.

"The name Mason Crest represents a blending of the historic with the new and is a tribute to both. It represents the fresh start that many of the incoming parents and students desired, while recognizing the rich tradition of the neighborhood. After excellent community input on the name, Mason Crest received widespread support and I'm confident represents the majority view," Evans said in an e-mail to Annandale Patch.

During a , residents narrowed down the list of names to be submitted to the School Board to two names: Mason Crest Elementary School and Masonville Elementary School. Masonville Elementary was a strong favorite among residents due to its history within the community. Masonville was the previous name of the school before it was renamed the Lacey Center. However, some residents at the meeting said they felt uncomfortable with retaining the name due to the segregation that existed in Fairfax County prior to the 1960s while the school was open and preferred a new name.

In a news release from Fairfax County Public Schools, School Board Chair Janie Strauss called the name Mason Crest a "tribute to the history of the neighborhood".

“It includes the name Mason in honor of the old Masonville school and adds Crest, which honors the Broyhill Crest neighborhood where the new school is located. This gives the families of students who will be going to Mason Crest a fresh start while honoring the past and members of the community whose children went to Masonville Elementary School," said Strauss.

Mason Crest Elementary School is scheduled to open in September.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the elementary school on the Lacey site when it was named Masonville Elementary School was segregated. The story has since been corrected and clarified. Annandale Patch apologizes for the error.

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