Since before MacArthur High School opened in 2023, community members and local officials have been searching for a new name for the Ward 3 public school, one that would epitomize the school’s values: “believe, belong, become.”

They landed on John R. Thompson Jr. High School, a tribute to a homegrown basketball legend. On Tuesday, the new name garnered unanimous support in the DC Council, where a bill to rename the school was approved on first reading.

Thompson, who passed away in 2020, is best known as a former coach of Georgetown University’s men’s basketball team, which he transformed into a powerhouse and national champion.

MacArthur High School was always meant to be a “ placeholder name ”—it’s based on the street the building is located on—as the local community and government

See Full Page