Public forum at César Chávez Elementary draws split over naming the school

The Madison Metropolitan School District opened a bilingual public forum at César Chávez Elementary to gather community input on renaming the school. Moderator called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m., announced Spanish interpretation was available, and said 13 registered speakers would participate live before the district read 123 written comments.

Speakers at the live forum split into two main positions. Supporters of naming the school for Roberto G. Sánchez cited his scholarships and lasting contribution to Madison students; opponents urged a geographic or place‑based name (examples offered included Maple Grove Elementary or Isais Trail Elementary) to avoid controversy and emphasize local identity. "Es ya hora de dejar de nombrar las escuelas a nombres propios y tratar de unir nuestras comunidades," said Yeimy Cron, who proposed geographic names. In contrast, Gerardo Mansilla, who described himself as a professor at Edgewood University and a scholarship committee participant, said the Sánchez scholarships produced graduates who returned to serve the community.

The district reported it had received 123 written comments: roughly 35 favored Maple Grove (or similar place names), about 14 explicitly favored Roberto G. Sánchez, and the remainder suggested a variety of other names or categories. The moderator reminded the public that written submissions carry the same weight as live testimony and that the 14‑day public comment window remains open. No formal vote occurred at the forum; the record will be considered by the committee handling the naming process.