Staunton High School was originally opened in the early 1900s and renamed Robert E. Lee High School in 1914 during the monthly school board meeting held on April 30, 1914 at the urging of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The original building subsequently housed a summer ESL school and a parochial school operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, and was later renovated into senior apartments.

[3] In July 2014 The News Leader received a letter to the editor that suggested renaming Robert E. Lee High School;[7] The majority of the newspaper's editorial board and key employees agreed and suggested possible names.

[8] In August 2017, in the wake of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the editorial board stated that it may be "tougher" to keep the school named after Lee.

[9] In October 2018, after months of debate, as well as "focus groups and community listening sessions" conducted by the Virginia Center For Inclusive Communities, the Staunton School Board voted 4–2 in favor of renaming the school.