Robert E. Lee Jr. High in Monroe to be renamed

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The name of Robert E. Lee Junior High in Monroe is being changed. The announcement was made Tuesday, June 23, and the superintendent has released the process that’ll be used to rename the school.

School board member Jennifer Haneline told KNOE a committee will be formed to come up with a new name. It’ll include students, teachers, parents, and appointees from school board members.

They’ll be part of two community meetings where the public can offer their input. One meeting will be held during the lunch hour and the other in the evening to accommodate different schedules. Then the recommendations will be given to the superintendent who makes the final call.

This follows requests to rename Robert E. Lee Junior High, saying he was a slave owner and fought with the Confederacy. The requests include an online petition which garnered thousands of signees.

Haneline says the name represents division and not unity, which is what the school district is all about.

They hope to have the name change done by the first day of school on August 13th.

They expect it to cost $100,000 dollars.