Santa Fe, NM (KKOB) – Cesar Chavez’s name is officially being removed from a Santa Fe elementary school after a decision Thursday night by the Santa Fe school board. The unanimous vote also included choosing a temporary name for the school which will now be named White Tigers Elementary until a new name is chosen. This is the first school so far in New Mexico named after the civil rights leader to be removed. Las Cruces, also has an elementary school named after Cesar Chavez but the school board has yet to take up the name change.
Santa Fe schools superintendent Christine Griffin, will be following district policy and form a committee to work on the name change. The board emphasized that the renaming process should be led by children and members of Santa Fe’s southside community. Members of the public urged school leaders to go further, calling for a social justice and education center to be created on the campus. They suggested it could be “a place where students and community can learn about farmworker movement, la Raza organizing.” The school board will ultimately make the final selection of the name. A weatherproof temporary banner will be put up soon, and the name “Cesar Chavez” will be removed in the coming days.
