Northeast El Paso’s Robert E. Lee Elementary School is re-named Sunrise Mountain

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 5-1 Tuesday to adopt a new name for the now-former Robert E. Lee Elementary School in northeast El Paso.

The school's new name adopted by the board will be Sunrise Mountain.

Trustees had decided back in June to change the name of the school, which was named after the top Confederate general in the Civil War.

The district solicited input from the public and received more than 50 name nominations for the school.

The board considered the top three suggestions, which included Diana Natalicio and Joe Anderson in addition to Sunrise Mountain.

This will now be one the few EPISD schools that isn't named after a person.

Officials said the name Sunrise Mountain comes from the fact that the school faces the mountain, which is a strong symbol in El Paso.