TYLER, Texas — In a press conference Sunday, Tyler Independent School District announced they will hold a special school board meeting to discuss and possibly take action on changing the names of two major high schools in Tyler.
"The names of our high schools gifted to us by a prior generation have been the source of much debate and consternation in our community," Tyler ISD school board president, Wade Washmon, said.
The name of Robert E. Lee High School has been a topic of debate for years within the city.
In 2018, the name change debate was brought to light in the aftermath of the Charlottesville protests in 2017. However, the roots of the issue stretches back more than half a century.
"We've had the unique opportunity as board members for our volunteer job," Washmon said. "To sit and listen to our community on an issue that has once again surfaced as it did in the not to distant past."
In the press conference, Washmon also announced the board members will discuss changing the name of John Tyler High School as well.
"Although Robert E Lee high school has sparked the debate and garnered much attention," he said. "If we apply the same set of criteria used to justify the consideration of changing it, we must also objectively apply that same criteria to John Tyler."
The names of the two high schools have an embedded history.
"Both schools were named at the same time," journalist Lee Hancock said.
The names of the schools date back to when schools in the country were desegregated under Brown v. Board of Education.
"Tyler High School the name was changed to John Tyler High School," Hancock said. "John Tyler being the president of the United States who actually Tyler was named for before the civil war. Although later he would be involved in the confederacy the name was actually chosen for the city prior to the civil war."
Hancock has done extensive research on the history of the two high schools in Tyler.
"Robert E. Lee was much more of a sticking point," she said. "It was much more problematic for black students and their families and in fact there were repeated efforts right after desegregation happened by members of the black community. They basically begged to try to convince the schools board to change the name and they were repeatedly refused until finally it was like that community gave up until recently it was just not discussed."
Hancock says this time around the school board may be more inclined to make a change.
"It's hard to predict," she said. "This is a hard issue. We've been struggling with this off and on for 50 years. I think there is a good likelihood there may be some good changes this Thursday night."
The district will hold the board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Jim Plyler Instructional Complex.