Community votes to change name of Robert E Lee Elementary School

Parents and teachers who live near Robert E. Lee Elementary are pushing the AISD school board to change the name of the school. The community has voted to rename it.

“People who are against it, I think they need to learn a little history,” Shannon Johnson, parent, said.

Johnson has a long record of ties to Robert E. Lee Elementary School. Two of her kids went there. The third one, Samantha is enrolled right now. When news came that the community wants to change the name, she became frustrated.

“The people behind this, they didn't grow up here. They came and they got on some bandwagon that everyone needs to be politically correct,” she said.

The school's campus advisory committee voted to change the name, throwing out some ideas. The school board will be the next step. Johnson feels Robert E. Lee is a part of America's history, and the 77-year-old-school should keep history alive.

“He didn't come into the war to fight for slavery, he came in to fight for Virginia,” she said.

Others like Alex Arguello beg to differ.

“He used his talents and abilities to try to continue to institution of slavery. The people that selected that name selected it for the purpose of excluding minorities from this school,” Arguello said.

He has two kids enrolled at lee as well. He thinks the board should change the name to an Austin figure.

Elizabet Ney, and Russell Lee are both fine examples of people who lived in this community

As the issue gets handed down to the school board, all parents can do right now is wait.

“Times have changed in this neighborhood and parents generally believe we want a name for our school that's more inclusive,” he said.

The vote comes after a public forum where parents and members of the community voiced their concerns.