Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Renaming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board renames Cesar Chavez Elementary to Desert Valley Elementary after community survey
Summary
After a months‑long site process and an online community survey, the Calexico Unified board voted 5–0 to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary "Desert Valley Elementary." The district reported 1,275 survey responses and will post full results.
The Calexico Unified School District board voted unanimously to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary School as Desert Valley Elementary School, following a school‑site naming process that engaged students, parents and staff.
Administrators described a multi‑stage process: classrooms and grades selected names, parents participated in meetings, and a site committee of teachers, classified staff, parents and students refined choices. The site committee submitted two finalists: "Roberto Moreno Elementary" (a name honoring a former district leader and educator) and a geographically descriptive option, "Desert Valley Elementary." The district said a community survey collected 1,275 responses and reported 772 votes for Desert Valley and 53 for Roberto Moreno; trustees noted those counts did not sum to the total and the district said it would publish the full survey results.
Trustees discussed whether the board should follow the raw community vote, how to balance student input with adult stakeholders, and the symbolic value of honoring a long‑time educator. After discussion, a motion to adopt Desert Valley Elementary passed 5–0.
What happens next: District staff said they will begin implementation tasks — updating signage, website pages and communications — and proceed with required paperwork to finalize the name change before the coming school year.
