Lee High School students march in protest of Huntsville superintendent's proposal to change school name (updated with photos, video)
Published: Thursday, November 03, 2011, 8:20 AM Updated: Thursday, November 03, 2011, 10:53 AM
Students Walk Out of Lee High School: Nov. 3, 2011HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Lee High School students march to the new school site to protest a proposed dropping of the Lee name. Superintendent Casey Wardynski arrives to speak to students. (The Huntsville Times/Keith Clines)Watch video
EnlargeA Lee High School student shows support fro Principal Paul Parvinl during a protest march Thursday morning Nov. 3, 2011. About 250 students took part in the protest march from the current school to the construction site of the new school. (The Huntsville Times/Robin Conn)Lee Student Protest gallery (14 photos)
Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski showed up at the protest and talked to the students, convincing them to go back to class and promised no repercussions for the walk-out.
"These young people obviously have an opinion," Wardynski said. "I think the way that young folks express themselves is important, but there is a safer way to do it."
The 250 or so students walked out of the current Lee building at about 8:05 a.m. and around to the front of the new building. They stopped there and started chanting "Lee High School!", "Save Our School!" and "Show your L!"
They went back to class after Wardynski walked into the middle of them and told them he appreciated their opinion and would not punish them for protesting.
The students were also worried about rumors that Principal Paul Parvin, who followed the protesters to the new school site along with school security, would not be principal when the new school opened.
Wardynski said no decision has been made about who will be the principal, and Parvin declined to comment.
Wardynski said Wednesday that no decision has been made about the name of the new school, and said this morning such a decision was six months away. But the president of the school's Parent Teacher Student Association said the name of the school was removed from the new building on Wednesday.
"It was up this morning when I dropped off my daughter around 10 (minutes) to 8," Carole Fandre said. "When I went back around 1:30, it was down."
EnlargeLee High School signage removed from new building. Spots where letters were attached can be seen above West side main entrance.(The Huntsville Times/Glenn Baeske)Lee High School Signage Removed From New Building gallery (9 photos)
"We were not informed of any of these discussions that were had at New Century," Fandre said.
Wardynski said the possibility of a name change was brought up by parents during a discussion Tuesday night at a New Century PTA meeting. He said the discussion was part of the preparations to merge Lee students with students from New Century Technology High School in the new building.
Wardynski said this morning that he had the name signs removed from the school so that it wouldn't be presumed that a name had already been chosen. "We want to work from blank paper," he said.
Lee High senior M'Lynn Medley said this morning the students planned to walk outside during today's lunch period and sing the school's Alma Mater, but instead students walked out just after the opening bell.
Medley said students also plan to march at 5 p.m. from the Sonic Drive-In on Pratt Avenue to the Annie Merts Center at 200 White St., where the school board will meet at 5:30 p.m.
Times Staff Writer Crystal Bonvillian contributed to this report.
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