Austin's school district voted 7-2 on Monday night in favor of renaming five schools that have ties to the Confederacy.
The Austin Independent School District said in November that the board was set to discuss the proposal. After getting grilled, Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz admitted the change will happen whether the public likes it or not.
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The schools under consideration are:
- Reagan High School
- Lanier High School
- Fulmore Middle School
- Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston campus
- John T. Allan facility
Supporters say this is a moral issue and that it’s about integrity. Those against say it’s erasing history.
"This is about racism," said Kazique Prince, co-chair of the East Austin Coalition for Quality education. "This is about institutional racism and we have this opportunity to do something for our community, to say, 'Hey, this is who we are, this is what we stand for and we’re making a difference.' Our city reflects those values."
Trustees estimate that it will cost more than $322,000 -- about $64,000 per school -- to make the changes.
School board trustee Jayme Mathias says the money will come from the district's budget.
"To put it in perspective, in a billion-dollar budget, some $70,000-$80,000 is very small," he said. "In fact, it’s only one-twentieth of what we send every single day in recapture fees to the State of Texas."