MADISON, Wis. -- The decision to name Madison's newest school after Gen. Vang Pao is creating a divide in Madison.

Opponents said that they plan to bring their concerns to the school board on Monday.

For people in the Hmong community, Gen. Vang Pao is a leader comparable to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They said that Pao led masses of Hmong refugees to the U.S., WISC-TV reported.

But opponents said that they still hope to convince the school board to change its mind and not honor a man that some say has a questionable past.

"A lot of people are like, 'What is Hmong? Who are the Hmong people?'" said Sun Prairie student Julie Vang. She is a student in Sun Prairie's relatively small Hmong community.

"Lots of people in the community do not know who the Hmong people are," she said.

Members of Madison's Hmong Baptist Church said that they hope the naming of the new school after Vang Pao will educate more people about their culture.

"We believe that the board made the right decision because he is an important person for Hmong people all around the world," said church deacon Joua Vang.

Resident Heidi Reynolds said that she disagrees. She went door to door on Sunday with a petition to reopen discussion on the school's name.

"Have you heard about the issue with the new school?" she asked one homeowner. "The new West Side school, they're naming Gen. Vang Pao."

More than 300 people have signed the petition so far, WISC-TV reported.

"I just explain to them, at the very least, this guy has such a controversial past that his name doesn't belong on a school," said Reynolds.

Reynolds said that she worries Gen. Vang Pao isn't a proper role model for children because of theories linking him to heroin trafficking and war crimes.

"It really has nothing to do with race," said Reynolds. "If this man were white, if he were black, if he were Hispanic, I would still object to his name being on it just because of his past."

"I've read the books and stuff and I don't believe that's all true," said local Hmong student Peng Vang.

Many Hmong people said that they understand the controversy, but also want people to see Gen. Vang Pao through their eyes.

"He's a great guy," said Peng Vang. "He's a leader among us and the kids look up to him."

"It's like great to get the Hmong name out into the community and to let the world know that we're here and we're contributing," said Julie Vang.

Several Hmong people said that they worked hard for the school's name and they would like to see the decision stand, WISC-TV reported.

Gen. Vang Pao Elementary will be built west of Highway M and north of Hawks Landing.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.