TYLER TEXAS — At minimum Robert E. Lee High School band and baseball uniforms will be replaced before the completion of construction on the new campus, regardless of whether a name change occurs.
Records obtained by the Tyler Paper indicate most of these uniforms already would be scheduled for replacement before renovation of the facilities is complete in 2021.
The Tyler ISD board heard a cost analysis associated with possible name changes at the high schools during its May meeting and several board members cited those costs as a factor in their decision to oppose a name change.
The largest costs associated with the name change were for replacement of uniforms for fine arts and athletics, which represented a large portion of the totals. The costs presented were for total and immediate replacement. The fine arts and athletics departments both noted those costs would be lower if phased in during normal replacement cycles.
The largest cost among uniforms was the marching band, coming in at an estimated $95,000. The uniforms, which are replaced every seven years, normally would be replaced in 2020.
Other costs associated with band included up to $200,000 to reorder instrument cases, which could be brought down to about $30,000 if the district opted to repaint the cases. Uniform bags, music stands, equipment carts and parade posters also would need to be reordered. It is unclear what the normal lifecycle of these items is.
Cheer-related costs range from about $1,000 per freshman cheerleader to $1,813 per varsity cheerleader, but these costs are paid by the students and their families.
Athletics costs for all sports were estimated at $250,000.
A breakdown of costs for baseball uniforms was provided in the records reviewed.
Immediate replacement of baseball uniforms would come to $13,300. The uniforms are on a three-year replacement cycle. It is unclear when they were last ordered and if other sports follow the same replacement cycle.
If the district makes the decision to change the name of the school before an October design deadline, it would cost nothing to replace the cast stone sign for the new facility. That cost would increase incrementally if replaced later, with a replacement after the facility is complete costing up to $465,000.
The issue of changing the school's name first was raised last summer and gained traction amid a national push to remove symbols of the Confederacy. Several school districts nationwide and across the state, including those in Houston, San Antonio and Austin, have changed names of schools that were associated with the Confederacy.
Opposing groups of community members brought the name issue up for discussion last summer, with more than 40 community members speaking at the first meeting, almost equally split on whether or not to change the name.
That prompted the TISD board to bring up a discussion of the matter in September, with many board members at that time signaling support for a name change. However, they indicated they wanted to put the issue aside until the current school year was over so as not to distract from the district's goal of academic achievement.
The issue resurfaced in mid-May during a board workshop when trustees reviewed the analysis of costs associated with a name change for one or both high schools. Trustees Orenthia Mason and Aaron Martinez requested the board place an action item for the name change on its next agenda. Board President Hager opted to place the item on the June 7 agenda, but the request was withdrawn in May.
