SAN ANTONIO – The North East Independent School District board of trustees voted Monday night to rename Robert E. Lee High School.
The new name will be the Legacy of Educational Excellence High School, the board decided in a 5-2 vote.
Mascot, colors and cost estimates will be presented during a future board meeting. It's unclear how much the name change will cost.
“Depending on the new name, the cost to the district could be extensive,” Grona said. “The marquee, signs around campus, the end zone, all of the athletic uniforms, dance, cheer and band uniforms, etc. As a trustee, it is our responsibility to be fiscally responsible. We can minimize the number of things that need to be changed at the school.”
A district spokesperson said the name change will go into effect beginning in the 2018-2019 school year and will be referred to as LEE High School.
The board of voted to change the name change of Lee High School in August and began accepting name change suggestions in September. Students spoke out against the name change during the Monday board meeting.
.@NEISD votes to name RE Lee HS to Legacy of Educational Excellence HS (L.E.E.) in a 5-2vote
— Patty Santos (@PattySantv) October 10, 2017
RELATED: Tim Duncan, Adolf Hitler among thousands of names submitted in renaming of Lee HS
Of the 2,443 suggestions sent to North East ISD, only 22 percent of submissions met the school board's criteria for name changes to the school.
NEISD opened an online submission form for the community to submit suggestions in the renaming of Robert E. Lee High School. The form was open from Sept. 19-25.
The issue was considered during the 2015-2016 school year, but in a 5-2 vote, the board voted to keep the school’s name at the time.
The school was built in 1958 and is one of the district’s oldest high schools. For decades, the school had the Confederate symbol on campus, but it was removed in 1991.
2015 stories:
Student starts petition to rename school
NEISD votes against renaming Lee High School
Current enrollment at the school is 2,700.
Board @NEISD now begin to hear public comment on RE Lee name options- about 3 signed up. They will also hear a presentation b4 discussing
— Patty Santos (@PattySantv) October 9, 2017
Pres. Shannon Grona says REL alumni were very involved w fundraising for students but have stopped since name change was announced
— Patty Santos (@PattySantv) October 9, 2017
