Austin ISD Delays Decision To Rename Schools Named For Confederate Figures

Some board members want to have a broader discussion of all school names and mascots in the district.

By Claire McInernyFebruary 1, 2018 9:30 am, , ,

From KUT:

The Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees is slowing down its timeline for a vote on whether to change the names of five schools named after Confederate figures.

When the school board started this discussion in November, it proposed changing the names of the following buildings:

– Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston Campus (formerly called Johnston High School)

– Sidney Lanier High School

– John H. Reagan High School

– Zachary Taylor Fulmore Middle School

– The former Allan Elementary School (now an administrative building)

Each was named after a man involved in the Confederacy. The board said these men didn’t align with the district’s current core values.

The discussion came about during a wave of anti-Confederate actions across the country, including at UT-Austin, where Confederate monuments were removed from campus.

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