The Abridged version:
- Sacramento City Unified plans to begin the process of renaming Cesar Chavez Elementary School following an investigation earlier this year that revealed sexual abuse allegations against the well-known labor leader.
- Davis Joint Unified changed its Cesar Chavez Elementary School to Monarca Elementary, and the Yolo County Office of Education last month began the process of renaming its Woodland campus.
- School districts and cities across California have moved to erase Chavez’s name from schools, parks and streets. Some, like Stockton Unified, opted not to make a change, citing cost concerns.
South Sacramento’s Cesar Chavez Elementary School is on track for a new name, becoming the latest campus in the region to ditch the civil rights leader’s name in light of multiple sexual misconduct allegations.
The Sacramento City Unified school board is expected to formally begin that process during its Thursday night meeting.
“Cesar Chavez no longer reflects our vision, mission, and values,” staff documents state.
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A New York Times investigation in March revealed numerous claims that Chavez had groomed and abused girls while rising to prominence as cofounder of United Farm Workers. Fellow labor leader and farmworker rights advocate Dolores Huerta said for the first time she too was raped, twice, by Chavez.
The revelations reverberated nationally, especially in Chavez’s home state. City leaders across California stripped his name from parks, streets and buildings. Many considered taking down monuments or murals made in his likeness.
In the four counties surrounding the state capital, three schools — in Sacramento, Woodland and Davis — have been renamed or are in the process of being retitled.
Sacramento City gets underway
Sacramento City Unified officials plan to send out surveys later this month to students and families on the proposed name change.
A nine-member committee, including parents, staff and students, are then expected to meet throughout November and come up with a final recommendation. The school board will vote on the update in December.
Staff are asking board members not to change the name to commemorate another person, living or dead.
Staff estimated the price of the change — from campus signage to athletic uniforms — from $10,000 to $12,000 total. Funds would come from the restricted facilities budget.
The estimate is based on what it cost the last time Sacramento City Unified changed a school name in 2023. Retitling what is now Suy:u Elementary took about $8,000, according to district documents. Officials said they accounted for inflation and the slightly larger size of Chavez Elementary.
Woodland school on track for change
Just ahead of Sacramento, the Yolo County Office of Education started the process of finding a new name for its Cesar Chavez Community School in Woodland.
Discussions began in the spring, following the published reports on Chavez.
“This is uncharted territory for us,” Anthony Volkar, public information officer for the county office, said in March. “We want to approach a name change thoughtfully and responsibly.”
In June, the county office gave the campus, which serves grades 7 to 12, the temporary name of YCOE Community School.
A survey in August asked community members for fresh ideas of what to call the school. Contenders should relate to the area around the school or “an entity whose contributions or values align” with the county office, according to criteria in the survey introduction.
A committee of at least seven members will gather throughout the fall to produce two final options for a public hearing and board vote in November. Because of the school’s smaller size, Volkar said they expect costs to be “fairly minimal.”
Davis district shifts quickly
Davis Joint Unified leaders in June officially pulled Chavez’s name from their elementary school, opting to convert it into what is now Monarca Elementary School.
A 15-member group moved quickly, culling ideas from the public and narrowing the 281 suggestions down to either Monarca or Sí Se Puede Elementary.
Monarca, Spanish for monarch butterfly, was the ultimate winner.
“The name honors the school’s bilingual identity while representing a broad concept rather than being tied to a single individual,” committee members wrote in their recommendation report.
Renaming ‘bandwagon’
The school districts join a widespread trend of public officials dropping Chavez’s name.
In Sacramento, city leaders recently began the process of renaming Downtown’s Cesar Chavez Plaza.
Some areas, though, pressed pause on making any changes.
“These allegations are allegations. He hasn’t had due process in this whole situation,” said Patrick Martin, trustee for Stockton Unified School District. “I feel the money can be spent in certain areas for our students.”
Staff in the Central Valley school district estimated changing the name of Cesar Chavez High School would cost between $2 million and $3 million. School board members in August declined to advance the renaming process.
“We have seven schools who are named after presidents who owned slaves,” Martin said. “And if we’re going to change a name off of allegations of one individual, then I think it’s fair that we look at the rest of the schools.”
He added, “I don’t feel that we should jump on the bandwagon.”
