Poll opposes changing James Blair name; school board still seeks alternatives

Good morning! York County taxpayers can sound off on proposed budget tonight...WJCC schools face cuts as localities turn down an $11.5 million funding increase...NCIS comes to William & Mary.

Stakeholder poll of James Blair students, parents, staff and local residents

Corrected version to show accurate tally of committee vote

Visibly uncomfortable -- and sometimes close to emotional -- school board members agreed to solicit new names for James Blair Middle School, even though a majority of school stakeholders responding to a poll opposed changing the name.

Williamsburg-James City County School Board members spent more than half of their public meeting Monday night reviewing the recommendations of a special committee set up to study and make recommendations on the controversial name. The 15-member committee included one James Blair student as well as two board members and parents, staff and residents of the school’s attendance zone.

The committee report presented the results of a stakeholder poll showing only 37% of the 1,724 people who answered voted to change the James Blair name, but recommended moving ahead with a name change anyway.

Board Chair Sarah G. Ortego then kicked…