On Monday the Atlanta Board of Education voted to change the name of Forrest Hill Academy to Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy. Forest Hills Academy is an alternative high school located off of Cleveland Avenue and was named after Nathan Before Forrest a Confederate General who was an active member of the Ku Klux Klan.
This name change comes at a time in history, where the names of Confederates on school buildings have come under fire. This year Atlanta Public Schools voted to change the names of Henry W. Grady High School, Grady Stadium, and Joseph E. Brown Middle school effective in the 2021-2022 school year.
The district policy is that school officials must wait five years after someone dies before naming a school after a person, but if the vote is unanimous the rule can be waived.