The Prince William County School Board voted unanimously, Wednesday evening, to name the 13th High School “Gainesville High School” after the school's location and attendance area.
Gainesville High School, located on Progress Court in Gainesville, within the Brentsville Magisterial District, will open in the fall semester of 2021. True to its name, it will predominantly serve students from the Gainesville area and is located nearly adjacent to Gainesville Middle School.
The school’s boundaries draw from Patriot High School (Nokesville), Stonewall Jackson High School (Manassas) and Battlefield High School (Haymarket.) The opening of Gainesville High School rezones those attendance areas relieving those schools of overcrowding. As a result of the rezoning, more Gainesville students will attend Gainesville High School and more Bristow students will attend Patriot.
The name was proposed by Brentsville School Board member Adele Jackson and Gainesville School Board member Jennifer Wall. They headed the effort of considering residents suggestions in cooperation with PWCS’s Planning Office
Naming the school for its location and geography proved popular this year. In addition to Gainesville High School, other names suggested included Old Dominion High School, The Piedmont School and Cardinal High School. Many community members commented that naming the school for a geographical location would prove less political and/or controversial.
School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef noted that naming the school Gainesville is a great for the Gainesville community as the students provide the best public relations for Prince William County Schools. When students win state-wide awards everyone will know they are from Gainesville, Virginia.
Honoring Prominent Citizens
Officer Ashley Guindon Photo Courtesy of Prince William PoliceMany citizens still recommended naming the school for two prominent community members: deceased Prince William Police Officer Ashley Guindon and long-serving guidance counselor Lillian Orlich.
While choosing to support naming the school “Gainesville,” Jackson and Wells also recommended naming areas of the new school after the two notable women.
Within the one vote, the board also unanimously approved naming Gainesville's library/media center for “Ashley Marie Guindon," and the Student Services Center for Lillian Orlich.
Officer Guindon, 29, was killed in the line of duty in February of 2016. It was her first day on the with the Prince William Police after completing training. Guidon held a bachelor degree in aeronautics from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytonal Beach, Florida. She earned her masters in forensics from George Washington University, and also served in the U.S. Marine Corps reserved.
Lillian Orlich, image by Prince William County SchoolsThe board also supported naming Gainesville High School's Student Services Center for Ms. Lillian Orlich. Miss “O” served as a guidance counselor at Osbourn Park since the school opened. She began her career at Osbourn High School in Manassas in 1950. Overall she was a guidance counselor in Manassas for 64 years. Orlich retired in 2017 at the 89 and continued to volunteer at the school after that.
Miss O is beloved by generations of teachers and students. A few years ago the auditorium at Osbourn Park High School was also named for her.
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