Signage with Woodrow Wilson’s name is starting to be replaced, as structural changes amounting to $1 million are slowly implemented at Jackson-Reed. Following the official name change in March, infrastructure changes will continue through the end of the school year and into the summer.

“When we come back in the fall, everything from ‘Woodrow Wilson’ should be erased,” Interim Principal Gregory Bargeman said.

Over spring break, several changes were made to the school building. The large mural of Woodrow Wilson and nearby Wilson quote were taken down, and the “Woodrow Wilson High School” silver sculpted letters on the front of the building were taken down, replaced by a “Jackson-Reed High School” banner.

“We’re trying to make sure people will recognize the name,” Bargeman said. He is reminding teachers and other staff to leave their Woodrow-Wilson-labeled clothing, lanyards, and other items at home.

“There’s a lanyard around my neck, which is, I think, the first piece of Jackson-Reed bling,” Alex Wilson, Director of Academy of Hospitality and Tourism and Academic Development, said. The lanyards were the first of many changes to come.

 There are two parties in charge of the name and logo changes that will occur in coming months. 

The first group is DCPS, taking on charges such as that of the lanyards and athletic uniforms. DCPS and Jackson-Reed administrators have also handled acquiring a new URL for the school’s website.

Changes such as the football field’s end zone, which now reads “Wilson” and the tiger mascot logo, along with the school logo in the atrium, are responsibilities that fall onto the latter group. Another task is the new metal wording outside the front of the building, and the new wording has already been ordered by the DC government. The removal of other stone work bearing Wilson’s name is also top priority.

“There’s a DC government committee named DC FACES (DC Facilities and Commemorative Expressions) to help rename our school, ” Wilson said.

DC FACES is an initiative started by Mayor Muriel Bowser, and it will be covering costs of larger changes to the building and surrounding spaces. The initiative works through DGS, the Department of General Services in DC. •