Confederate school names on board’s agenda
Published 9:21 am Wednesday, October 24, 2018
By Ken Stickney
Up or down? That’s the question.
A Port Arthur ISD school spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that Port Arthur’s school board, which will address the issue of Confederate names on two of its public elementary schools, will likely make a final decision to maintain the names or choose new ones Thursday night at a regularly scheduled board meeting.
School names at issue are Robert E. Lee Elementary School, 3900 10th St., and Dick Dowling Elementary School, 6301 Pat Ave.
Lee was the Confederacy’s most honored general, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, and Dick Dowling, a Confederate lieutenant from Houston, was the defender of Sabine Pass, who, with a small artillery unit, turned back a Union invasion force on Sept. 8, 1863.
Action on the name change, if any were taken, probably would occur early in the 7 p.m. Thursday meeting. It is listed early on the agenda.
School system spokeswoman Kristyn Cathey said Superintendent Mark Porterie said the seven-member board of trustees would “for sure” make a decision.
Earlier this year, Porterie said with completion of the new Dick Dowling school, the board must decide the school name before putting signage on the grounds and building. That would keep PAISD from having to put new signage up if the board decided to change the name later.
Signage at Lee Elementary, an established school, is another matter. Cathey said there the school name is on the grounds, on the school and may be in the gym.
At the September board meeting, eight speakers addressed the board in a public hearing in September about the possible name changes. No clear consensus appeared: One citizen said he preferred the names to remain unchanged; two people said they’d like a school to be named for Alfred Z. McElroy, a former board member, and another resident asked a school to be named for former Superintendent George Sims.
The Rev. Kalan Gardner of the local NAACP pleaded with board members to “get on the right side of history” and change the names. Jaylon Gasper of the NAACP Youth Council, said the names were placed on the buildings to “promote racism.”
First on the agenda Thursday night will be Greg Richard, a local citizen, who said he has opposed the names of Confederates on the two schools since 2005.
The open meeting will be held in the PAISD school system’s administration building at 4801 Ninth Ave.
Port Arthur’s school board Thursday will take up the issue of Confederate names on two public elementary schools, Robert E. Lee and Dick Dowling Elementary schools.
Action on the name change, if any were taken, would occur early in the 7 p.m. meeting, during the second agenda item.
Eight speakers addressed the board in a public hearing in September about the possible name changes. No clear consensus appeared: One citizen said he preferred the names to remain unchanged; two people said they’d like a school to be named for Alfred Z. McElroy, a former board member, and another resident asked a school to be named for former Superintendent George Sims.
The Rev. Kalan Gardner of the local NAACP pleaded with board members to “get on the right side of history” and change the names. Jaylon Gasper of the NAACP Youth Council, said the names were placed on the buildings to “promote racism.”
Lee was the Confederacy’s most honored general, commander of the Army of Virginia, and Dick Dowling, a Confederate lieutenant from Houston, was the defender of Sabine Pass, who, with a small artillery unit, turned back a Union invasion force on Sept. 8, 1963.
First on the agenda Thursday night will be Greg Richard, a local citizen, who said he has opposed the names of Confederates on the two schools since 2005.
The open meeting will be held in the PAISD school system’s administration building at 4801 Ninth Ave.
A spokesman for the school system did not return a call for comment Tuesday night.
