HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County School Board is holding a special meeting on Thursday to consider names for Lee Elementary School.
- School board to rename Lee Elementary
- School destroyed in 2017 fire after Hurricane Michael
- School to also be rebuilt
The district began the process to rename the school back in June of 2017 at the school board's request. Then, the school was destroyed in a fire on September 12, 2017 after Hurricane Irma.
In May of 2018, the district held a meeting with parents to discuss the future of the building including design, where several school names were submitted by families. Those names include Lee Elementary with no first name, Tampa Heights Elementary, Harper Lee Elementary, and Amelia Elementary.
According to school board policy, school sites and facilities shall be named for individuals who have rendered outstanding public service to public education, for geographical locations, and for groups and clubs as indicated: elementary, middle, and secondary schools – for U.S. Presidents, school board members, educators, outstanding citizens, and geographical locations. An elected official proposed for a school name shall have left public office for a period not less than five years. No candidate for public office shall be considered. No school site or facility shall be named for a living person.
The school has only held two names in its 112-year history. Built by volunteers in 1906, the school was first named Michigan Avenue Grammar School and was renamed Robert E. Lee Elementary in 1943. It become the district's first magnet school in 1993.
The school board voted to rebuild the school in October of this year after the district negotiated full payment for the building from the insurance companies.
Officials are in the middle of reviewing plans and bids for the $10 million project. The construction period is expected to last 12 - 18 months.