The history of Lee Middle School reflects a proud,  long-standing tradition in Grand Prairie.  The building at 401 E. Grand Prairie Road opened for classes in the fall of 1948 under the name of Grand Prairie Junior High School with Mr. Dale Woods as Principal.  (Mr. Woods was the first of only 12 principals of the school).  At that time it was the only junior high in the city housing students in grades 7, 8, and 9.  (During the first year, the school had an approximate enrollment of 600 students).  The original structure was a two-story L-shaped building with a cafeteria and kitchen shared with neighboring Crockett Elementary School.

It is interesting to note that the original building had no gymnasium.  Physical education classes were held out of doors.  During inclement weather the classes moved into the study hall, a large room in the west wing of  the second floor.  These arrangements continued until the building of the first gymnasium in 1951.

With the building of a second junior high school in 1955, the name of GPJHS was changed to Robert E. Lee Junior High School.  The school continued to house grades 7, 8, and 9. 

In the mid 1970's Grand Prairie adopted the middle-school format for students in grades 6, 7, and 8.  The name of RELJHS was subsequently changed to reflect the shift in educational philosophy, hence, the current name of Robert E. Lee Middle School.

Periodically, additions were made to the existing structure.  Included in the improvements were:  a larger library, additional classrooms between the main building and the gymnasium,  a new wing of classrooms on the east side (the sixth grade/Jaguar wing), a second gymnasium, a field house, enlargement of the cafeteria, an additional wing of classroom south of the library (the south/Otter wing), and a new fine arts wing for band, orchestra, and choir.

In 1993 a realignment of schools within the GPISD resulted in Lee becoming the only true "middle" school in the city, in that it was a campus for grades 7 and 8 only.  (The sixth graders were moved to Jefferson Intermediate School).  This alignment of grades continued until 2001. 

2001-2002 was to be a year of great change at Robert E. Lee Middle School.  With construction of a new Crockett Elementary School well underway, steps were being taken to join the old Crockett building with Lee's main building.  the added space would accommodate the sixth graders who were, once again, to become part of Lee Middle School.  The majority of the work was to be done during the summer so that the building would be ready for school in August.

According to the schedule, things were progressing satisfactorily until June 27, 2001.  Sometime during the evening of that day, an arsonist started several fires in the library and south hall (Otter wing) of Lee's main building.  These fires finally joined and blazed out of control destroying the library, the south hall, and one-half of the east hall (Jaguar wing) and two rooms on the second floor just above the library.  The rest of the building suffered considerable smoke and water damage.

After deliberating for two weeks, it was decided by the GPISD that the "structural integrity of Lee's main building had been compromised" and, subsequently, it was torn down.  The only areas to be spared were the cafeteria, the fine arts rooms, the two gymnasiums and the field house.  These areas were eventually incorporated into the new building.  The building, however, was not the only loss.

During the summer, the library had been designated as the "security" room for the building.  Consequently, computers, televisions and other electronic equipment as well as every book were lost to the fire.  In addition, in preparation for the summer's construction, the teachers were asked to box up all of their classroom supplies and store them in the south hall or in the library.  The result was a total loss for the teachers who returned in August.

School year 2001-2002 was spent with classes being held in the old Crockett building and a series of portable buildings. In addition, teachers and students had to work their way around ongoing construction of a new building.  With an enrollment of nearly 1000, the situation  was very challenging.  

After the fire it was observed:

"For 53 years the building at 401 E. Grand Prairie Road played an important role in the life of the community and served as a 'home away from home' for thousands of Grand Prairie youth.  That building is no more.  Yet, life goes on. The present faculty has a vested interest in Lee's past and a firm commitment to its future.  The spirit and traditions that were embers kindled 53 years ago will help instill life into the new building and, like the phoenix, Lee Middle School will rise from its ashes to be counted, once again, among Grand Prairie's finest."

As a result of the fire of June 2001, over 80% of the building at 401 E. Grand Prairie Road was razed and in its place a new building raised.  The "new" Lee opened for classes in the fall of 2002.  

Since its inception as a member of the Grand Prairie Independent School District, Lee has been at the forefront of education in the city.  Many of the current civic leaders are "graduates" of Lee.  Additionally, many of the teachers and administrators responsible for education in Grand Prairie got their "starts" either as students or members of the faculty of Robert E. Lee.  Currently, the faculty of Lee includes 3 individuals who attended Lee as students.

As we look to the future, Robert E. Lee Middle School will continue to play an important part in the life of the community and serve as a "home away from home" for thousands of Grand Prairie youth.  The community, and the students, can count on the fact that every effort will be made to ensure that during their brief time at Lee, students will receive the best education possible. Lee is now a blend of the old and the new--a blend of tradition and modern technology that only serves to augment a proud past.