Abilene ISD Postpones Renaming Schools Until Next Year

ABILENE, TX -- After months of public input and disagreement, the Abilene ISD has announced it will postpone renaming three schools until next year.

The issue was first raised back in June and by September the Board of Trustees voted to move forward with the renaming process.

The schools selected were named  Jackson, Johnston, Lee, and Regan Elementary. 

Regan Elementary will be closed down, so it will not be renamed at this time.

At the latest school board meeting, the school board was presented with 11 possible new names. 

The names were originally submitted by community members. They were then narrowed down and recommended by a renaming committee.

“It would be hard to go from a list of 11 to three," said board member Cindy Earles. "I think an intermediate step would be good.”

The board then decided to postpone the renaming until January.

This will provide board members with the opportunity to choose 5 names. Members will be allowed to choose from the presented list or introduce their own suggestions.

“I just want us to name these three schools on the merit that they, the life that they’ve lived," said Board President Daryl Zeller.