AUSTIN, Texas – For several months Austin Independent School District has been gathering public feedback on changing the controversial names of some campuses.

A public forum Tuesday night debated renaming five campuses across the Austin school district. All five of the schools have confederate namesakes.

AISD schools considering renaming these schools:

  • The Allan facility, named after Confederate army officer John T. Allan
  • Reagan High School, named after Confederate postmaster general John H. Reagan
  • Eastside Memorial High School at Johnston campus, named after Confederate Generate Albert Johnson
  • Lanier High School, named after Confederate soldier Sidney Lanier
  • Fulmore Middle School, named after Confederate Private Zachary Fulmore

“I’m in favor of changing the school names. I think it’s time for us to look forward as a district and think about diversity and inclusion with all of the different races and ethnicities that the district serves. I think these are relics of the past in a way,” said Austin resident, Meghan Dougherty.

AISD staff said they are collecting all of the public feedback, in addition to their own research into the confederate soldiers.

“Trying to put together kind of a historical picture for the board and provide them with that documentation and timelines,” said Brian Hill with the AISD.

A topic like this one has complexities on both sides. The schools were named after confederate military members for their service.

“The reason that their names are on these schools was not because they served in the confederate military it’s because they all had good attributes after their military service,” said Mike Fooshee, a graduate of Sidney Lanier High School, class of 1965.

Fooshee’s alma mater was named after Georgia native and confederate soldier Sidney Lanier.

“We were always taught that he was a well-known poet, which he was, and now they’re bringing up that they want to change the school name because he served in the confederate military and I think that’s ridiculous I think you can’t change history,” said Fooshee.

To some, this conversation is an opportunity to learn more about the history of Austin and its diverse community.

The district's second meeting will be Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Gethsemane Lutheran Church.