Looking to distance themselves from their Confederate namesake, officials at Robert E. Lee Elementary School in Austin, Texas recently decided to find a new name for their school. Following in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers, officials turned to Democracy and let the people decide the new name.
But nothing is perfect. Sometimes, Democracy fails.
According to KXAN in Austin, the top vote-getter for the school’s new name was Donald J. Trump Elementary, with 45 nominations. The second-most voted for name? Robert E. Lee Elementary, with 34 nominations.
Among the other notable nominations were the Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance (seventh-most nominations with eight), Adam Lanza’s School of Fun, John Cena Elementary, Schooly McSchoolerson and, of course, Boaty McBoatface.
There were some serious nominations in the Top 10, which is listed below.
1. Donald J. Trump Elementary: 45 nominations
2. Robert E. Lee Elementary: 34 nominations
3. Russell Lee Elementary: 32 nominations
4. Harper Lee Elementary: 30 nominations
5. Elisabet Ney Elementary: 15 nominations
6. Lee Elementary: 13 nominations
7. Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance: 8 nominations
8. Waller Creek Elementary: 8 nominations
9. Dr. Frances J. Nesmith Elementary School: 7 nominations
10. Guy Bizzell Elementary: 6 nominations
Luckily, the school district will have final say on the school’s new name, regardless of nominations.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
