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White Tigers Elementary renamed Cielo Azul after community engagement
Summary
After a months-long bilingual engagement process including student voting, the board voted to rename White Tigers Elementary School to Cielo Azul Elementary while retaining the White Tigers mascot.
The Santa Fe Public Schools Board voted on June 11 to adopt a permanent name for White Tigers Elementary School following a multi-month community engagement process that prioritized student voice.
Principal Megan McCormick described the process: task force meetings, student assemblies, staff and family outreach in English and Spanish, and a virtual survey. She said students participated by creating artwork and essays and that the student council "took a leadership role" to narrow options and present recommendations. "Finally, every student got the opportunity to cast a vote for their preferred school name and mascot," McCormick said.
The renaming task force reported that while White Tigers remained the strongest student preference as a mascot, the committee recommended two bilingual name finalists: Cielo Azul ("blue sky") and Colores del Sol ("colors of the sun"). The combined results the task force presented showed a plurality for Cielo Azul; board member Bosse cited a roughly 31% plurality in the compiled results when making the motion to rename the school.
The board moved, seconded and approved renaming the school Cielo Azul Elementary. The task force and staff said the district will complete state documentation, notify families and staff, and update signage and materials in partnership with facilities and maintenance.
What happens next: District staff will complete the required state documentation and update facilities and communications to reflect the new name; the White Tigers mascot will remain in place per the task force recommendation.
