The Abridged version:
- One of California’s oldest and smallest school districts has a new name, following a state law barring most uses of insensitive terms for indigenous people — including the word “Indian.”
- What was the Indian Diggings Elementary School District is now Omo Ranch Elementary School District.
- The El Dorado County district has one school with 10 students and four employees, including Grant Coffin, who serves as superintendent, principal and teacher.
One of California’s oldest — and smallest — schools has a new name, following a state law generally barring the use of insensitive terms for indigenous people.
Indian Diggings Elementary School District in El Dorado County is now Omo Ranch Elementary School District.
Similarly, the name of the district’s only site, a one-room schoolhouse, changed from Indian Diggings Elementary to Omo Ranch Elementary.
The new name is a reference to the building’s location in Omo Ranch, an unincorporated community in southern El Dorado County.
It was a logical choice, said Grant Coffin, the superintendent, principal and sole teacher at Omo Ranch Elementary.
“And probably the least controversial,” he added.
State law deadline hits
California lawmakers in 2024 passed the California Racial Mascots Act, barring public schools and school districts “from using any derogatory Native American term.” Listed examples included Chiefs, Squaw, Savages and Indians.
The law gave local officials until July 1, 2026, to make the alterations. Exemptions were made for public schools run by indigenous tribes or districts given consent by a local tribe to continue using their existing monikers or mascots.
Ensuing changes have occurred across the state and Sacramento region.
In Sacramento City Unified, Hiram Johnson High School removed a controversial mural and other depictions of its warrior mascot found to be racist and offensive.
‘Just don’t have that connection’
On Omo Ranch Road, conversations about changing the school and district name began at least a year ago, Coffin said.
He reached out to the nearest local tribe, the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, headquartered in Plymouth, about 20 miles away. The tribe did not give an exemption for the Indian Diggings name, Coffin said, who pointed out the distance between the Ione Band and the rural school district.
“We just don’t have that connection with the tribe,” he said. Coffin recalled just one student from the tribe who attended the school in recent years.
The El Dorado school district was the last in California to have “Indian” in its name. The school was one of about a dozen statewide using the word.
Omo Ranch Elementary’s three-person school board approved the new name during its June 10 meeting. The change went into effect July 10.
“I believe it was the right decision personally,” Coffin said. And either way, he added, the law is the law.
Little contention
Since the change was announced, Coffin said there has not been much fanfare or contention, besides a handful of comments on Facebook.
There were no public comments at the summer board meeting, since Coffin said there usually are no visitors in attendance.
“It’s a very small community,” Coffin said.
He has yet to field any calls or emails from residents since the new name went into effect, he said.
‘Only thing that’s changing is the name’
The Indian Diggings Elementary School opened in the mid-19th century, in an eponymic town of Indian Diggings.
About a century later, in 1949, the one-school district moved up the hill to its current site.
The K-8 school has been in the same building since 1959. Ten students are enrolled for this coming school year. Four employees work at the school, including Coffin, who is starting his 14th year.
As of last week, a sign above the doorway displaying the old name is gone, Coffin said. He’s working with a company in Placerville to get a replacement. The district website is changed, and soon, staff and students will receive new shirts with “Omo Ranch Elementary.”
Coffin said the intention is not to forget the district’s past. Second graders will continue writing a report on the town’s history, now including the recent transformation.
“We have a rich history,” Coffin said. “The only thing that’s changing is the name.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged by PBS KVIE team and contribute to a crucial local news source.