Tyler Legacy High School
Tyler Legacy High School, previously known as Robert E. Lee High School, is one of two Tyler Independent School District high school campuses in the city of Tyler, Texas, the other being Tyler High School. Tyler Legacy High School has served the East Texas community since opening in 2020 and classified as a 6A school by the UIL. In 2013, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency. History. There was a debate in the Tyler community in 2017–2018 on whether the school's name should change, as Robert E. Lee became a  controversial figure even among White people. In 2018 the district's board decided not to vote on a possible renaming, so the school kept its name. On July 16, 2020 the school board voted unanimously to initiate changing the name of both Robert E. Lee High School and John Tyler High School. Tradition. In the 1960s, when Lee's mascot was the Rebel, the school was famous for its working cannon and oversized Confederate flag. A group of seniors tended the cannon at games, firing it when the Rebel football team scored a touchdown. The football team entered Rose Stadium  by running "under" the flag, reputed to be the second largest Confederate flag in the world (second only to one owned by the University of Mississippi). By 1972, the flag was retired and its whereabouts are unknown. The flag was retired shortly after four African-American players refused to run under the flag and ran around it instead, causing some local controversy. The cannon, retired in 1986, is now the property of Brook Hill School in Bullard, Texas. Demographics. As of the 2020-21 school year, the student body consisted of: Education. Tyler Legacy High School offers a variety of  pre-AP and AP-level courses, as well as career technology education programs and fine arts electives. The school implemented an international baccalaureate program in the fall of 2008. Athletics. As of 2014, Tyler Legacy High School is classified as a 6A school in District 11 along with many Garland and Rockwall Schools. Tyler Legacy Red Raiders compete in a variety of sports including baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball, tennis, powerlifting, track, swimming, cross country and is most well known for the Tyler football team.