4J approves community-driven process to rename César Chávez Elementary

Presenter: The 4J school board voted unanimously June 17 to proceed with a formal renaming process for César Chávez Elementary School. It was the latest step in a discussion that started April 15. Board Chair Tom Di Liberto:

Tom Di Liberto (April 15, 2026): Next on our agenda is receiving information regarding César Chávez Elementary School and the naming review preliminary findings and path forward. And our presenter is Carmen Xiomara Urbina, our chief of staff.

Carmen Xiomara Urbina (April 15, 2026): So César Chávez Elementary School was named in 2004 through a community-driven process. The decisions reflected values that continue to matter deeply in our district: cultural identity, student belonging, and recognition of contributions of social justice.

In March of this year, national reporting brought forward new information that has prompted questions and concerns within our community. Since that time, we have seen increased communication from families and community members, along with a range of responses.

For some, the name continues to represent pride and identity. For others, the new information has created tension and concern. This is not a simple or one-dimensional issue. It is complex and for many, deeply personal.

So before we move into process, it’s important to pause and name the complexity of this moment. This is not simply a question about a name. It reflects a deeper tension between history, identity, and newly-surfaced information. 

César Chávez represents both a broader movement rooted in justice and labor rights, and an individual whose legacy is now being more closely examined.

As a result, members of the community are holding multiple truths at once. For some, this name represents pride, identity and cultural significance. For others, it raises concerns, confusion, and questions about alignment with values.

This is also not unique to our district. Across the country, schools and institutions are grappling with similar questions about how we remember history and how we choose to honor.

So the challenge in front of us is not simple. It is how to honor community identity while also responding thoughtfully and responsibly to new information.  

Presenter: She emphasized that the district would follow established policies and regulations. 4J Chief of Staff Carmen Urbina:

Carmen Xiomara Urbina (April 15, 2026): This is not a complaint process. It is not driven by individual incidents. Requests begin at the school level through the principal, and any formal renaming process requires broad representation of a school engagement and community; a clear rationale, and an understanding of impacts, including fiscal considerations. 

The framework exists to ensure that decisions of this significance are not made quickly or based on limited input, but are thoughtful, inclusive, and aligned with our standards as a district, which is, one of them is engagement.

So why a preliminary phase? Given the complexity and the sensitivity of the situation, again, the district intentionally created a preliminary phase before taking any formal action. The purpose was to ensure that we did not move prematurely, that we understood what we were hearing from the community, and that any next steps would be aligned with policy.

This step also helped us avoid two risks: (1) moving too quickly without meeting policy requirements and (2) not responding clearly and creating confusion or eroding trust. 

The guiding question was simple and important. Are we ready to initiate a formal renaming process under Policy FF?

To date, we have received 70 communications (53 from the community) and 41% were from parents and guardians.  These are meaningful and important, and they reflect real engagement and concern from members of our community. At the same time, it is not representative of the full school community.

We saw clear patterns. A majority expressed support for renaming. All raised values based on concerns. Many expressed urgency: ‘This needs to happen today,’ and several suggested alternative names. 

This tells us that there is a clear signal of concern and engagement, but it is important to understand what this data does and does not represent.

The most important insight from this work is this: We are not missing concern. We’re not missing awareness. We’re missing the level of representation or representative evidence required under Policy FF. In other words, this data shows direction, it does not yet support a decision. The issue is clearly present, but we have not yet heard from the full community in a way that allows us to move forward responsibly.

Policy FF does not set a number of responses required. Instead, it sets expectations for the quality and breadth of the input. That includes broad representation, a clear rationale, and sufficient evidence to support a decision. 

The central question that emerged from the review is: Where is the voice of the full César Chávez School community? At this time, we do not yet have that answer. We do not have the voices of the César Chávez Elementary School parents or the César Chávez Elementary School staff or the César Chávez Elementary School students.

Based on this analysis, the recommendation is not to initiate a formal renaming process at this time. Instead, the path forward is to continue this work in a structured and intentional way. This includes clear communication, expanded engagement and gathering representative input across staff, families, and the broader school community.

This will likely include surveys and facilitated opportunities to ensure participation is inclusive and balanced. There’s a need to balance urgency with thoughtful deliberation. 

There’s a tension between honoring César Chávez as an individual and as a symbol of the broader movement, the farm worker movement. There are important questions about identity, belonging, and community pride, and there are broader system implications, including how these decisions like this are made across the district.

And they are not simple considerations. And they require a lot of care.

The other critical piece that did surface is that in the César Chávez Elementary community, the community might not know what César Chávez represents. And so there has to be an educational piece that needs to happen, that needs to come with that. That might take a little bit more time.

And so that was one of the critical pieces that was named during the preliminary subcommittee. Do people really understand at the school what César Chávez represented, right? And what does this mean for the community and for the farm workers and why it was created in the first place, and how it was named.

It was a painful process when we look back at history and I encourage our listener audience and the board to go back and look at those newspaper articles around the huge disequilibrium that it brought, because we were naming the first school after a farmworker leader and that was Latino, Latinx.

So I just want to name kind of the tension that exists and that both of these things needed to go together, the education of what this means for the community and also the change. 

And how does the community feel? Because it’s really easy to say, do you want to change the name? But the why, I think, is the important conversation, and that is where the space and time needs to happen.

Presenter: 4J school board member Maya Rabasa:

Maya Rabasa (April 15, 2026): When things like this happen, your identity, which is tied to school, can feel a little unsteady, and I really deeply appreciate that your immediate reaction was to wrap everybody up in the shared identity of being Cheetahs, and seeing that there is more to this shared identity than this name and this person who is being… scrutinized, for lack of a better word.

So I just really deeply appreciate the recognition of the need to hold our students in our school community in that shared space. So thank you for that.

I do hope that we at some point tackle the question of, ‘Does this need to be part of a comprehensive review,’ and looking at all of our school names and not just reacting with swiftness the very first time our only school named after a Brown person is brought into this space.

Presenter: Welcoming Carmen back on May 13, Tom Di Liberto:

Tom Di Liberto (May 13, 2026): An update regarding César Chávez Elementary School naming review. Our presenter is Carmen Xiomara Urbina, our chief of staff.

Carmen Xiomara Urbina (May 13, 2026): Tonight, we’re providing a brief update regarding the César Chávez Elementary School renaming review process, specifically focused on the community engagement efforts that have taken place since the board received that preliminary update on April 15. Several actions were taken. 

First, a survey was launched on May 5 to gather perspective and feedback.

Second, communication was sent directly to families and staff through Principal Kevin Gordon to ensure that the school community was informed about the purpose of the survey and engagement process.

And third, a community listening session was scheduled and held to provide opportunity for direct dialogue, reflection, and voiced sharing.

A preliminary finding update is now being developed and will be brought back through the appropriate process once the review is completed and brought back to this board. 

As of Monday, May 11, the preliminary survey responses included: 74 surveys were completed. 

When asked the question ‘Should the district proceed with the policy and start the renaming of the school?’ 60 respondents indicated yes; eight responded no; six responded, not sure, need more information. 

These results are preliminary and do not represent, again, the final outcomes because we kept the survey open for actually the end of this week and a couple more days that we will be resending. And the parents had amazing ideas of how to be able to have more input and gather more input by the parents.

And so the district, again, will continue to gather this feedback and perspectives. And then again, we’ll be bringing this back to all of you over the coming weeks. 

My closing reflections are: I want to emphasize that the district remains committed to conducting this work thoughtfully, transparently, and responsibly.

This includes a commitment to representative engagement, transparency, and inclusiveness in line with Board Policy FF and maintaining community trust throughout the process.

This conversation is about more than a name, or more than renaming a school. It reflects how we listen to one another, how we engage across different perspectives, and how we navigate complex community conversations with integrity and care. The outcome matters, but the integrity of the process matters just as much.

Presenter: With that background, we come to this week’s board meeting on Wednesday, June 17:

Tom Di Liberto (June 17, 2026): Our presenter again is Carmen Xiomara Urbina.

Carmen Xiomara Urbina (June 17, 2026): Following national reporting and community discussion regarding allegations associated with César Chávez, personal conduct questions emerged locally regarding the continued appropriateness of the school’s name.

Rather than make assumptions, the district committed to first hearing directly from those most impacted, the current students, families, staff of César Chávez Elementary School.

To better understand community perspective, we distributed a survey to the current César Chávez Elementary community. We received 89 responses representing our current parents, guardians, certified staff, classified staff, administrators, and a small number of individuals who identified as former families or former staff members.

Approximately 64% of respondents were current parents or guardians, while approximately 36% were current school staff. This provided us with a meaningful input from those most directly connected to the school today. 

The survey included both quantitative questions and opportunities for open-ended responses, allowing participants to share their perspectives and recommendations.

One of the primary questions was whether the district should move forward with a formal renaming process. The results showed 67% supported moving forward with the renaming process, 10% opposed moving forward, 23% indicated they needed additional information or were undecided.

While opinions varied, the survey demonstrates that a clear majority of participating current families and staff support initiating a formal renaming process.

Equally important, the responses revealed significant nuances. Many participants acknowledged both César Chávez’s historical contributions and the concerns raised by the allegations that have recently become widely known.

As we review the written responses, three major themes consistently emerge. First, student safety, dignity, and belonging. Second, preserving and honoring Latino, Latina, Latinx, Latine cultural identity and history. And third, ensuring transparent processes that includes a meaningful community voice.

These themes appeared regardless of whether respondents supported or opposed renaming the school. So I just want to be really clear about that.

And in many ways, the community was aligned around values even when there were different perspectives about the outcome. The most frequently cited concern centered on students. Many respondents expressed that elementary schools should represent safety, trust, dignity and belonging for children.

At the same time, the survey reveals something equally important. There was an overwhelming recognition that César Chávez Elementary School has become much more than the name on a building. It has become a symbol of Latino, Latino, Latinx and Latine representation, pride, history, and belonging within the school district 4J. 

Many respondents emphasize that if a renaming process moves forward, the district must not lose this important cultural connection.

This feedback was remarkably consistent across the survey. The district should continue to honor and celebrate Latino culture, history and contributions in one way or another. 

We also asked community members what considerations should guide a future renaming process if one occurs. Several themes emerged. Some respondents suggested avoiding naming school after individuals altogether. Others suggested naming connected to local geography, Oregon’s natural environment, community values, or educational aspirations. 

Many recommended honoring a Latino, Latino, Latinx leader or labor movement contributions. Others encourage consultation with tribal partners and exploration of Indigenous places, names, and local history. These ideas are not recommendations at this time, but they provide valuable insights…

After reviewing the survey results, considering that we recently adopted policy, and reflecting on our district values, the district is recommending that the board authorizes the formal renaming process for César Chávez Elementary School. This recommendation is based on our primary considerations:

First, the board has now adopted policies specifically designed to guide naming and renaming decisions.

Second, a clear majority of current families and staff support moving forward with a process.

Third, concerns raised by respondents align closely with the district’s commitment to student safety, belonging, and community values.

And fourth, there’s a strong interest in creating transparent processes that allows the community to help shape the future decision.

Importantly, moving forward with a process does not predetermine a future name. It simply begins the engagement process outlined in Policy FF: establishing a renaming advisory committee; developing a community engagement and communication plan; creating renaming criteria and a nomination process; conducting engagement opportunities with students, families, staff, tribal partners, and community members; and bringing recommendations back to the board for consideration.

This process would occur during the ‘26-’27 school year and would ensure the community voice remains central throughout the process.

We recognize that renaming a school also has operational and financial implications. Any costs associated with signage, branding, materials or implementation would be evaluated and brought forward during the advisory process to our superintendent. Consistent with district practice, staff would seek opportunities to align changes with existing replacement cycles to minimize costs.

I would like to conclude with two observations. First, this conversation is not simply about an aim, it is about how we balance history, community values, student belonging, cultural representation, and public trust.

Second, what we heard from the Chávez community was thoughtful, nuanced, and deeply rooted in care for students, and many respondents held multiple truths at the same time—recognizing César Chávez’s historical contribution while also expressing concerns about the allegations that have emerged. 

The recommendation before the board tonight is not to select a new name. The recommendation is to authorize a transparent, community-driven process that allows Chávez community to help determine what comes next. 

At our policy work meeting, Superintendent (Miriam) Mickelson reminded us that while these conversations can be difficult, they also provide an opportunity to model how we live our values as a district. 

As we continue evaluating names, symbols, and policies, we have an opportunity to create processes grounded in belonging, equity, community, voice, and respect. 

With that, we respectfully request board direction to proceed with a formal renaming process for César Chávez Elementary School in accordance with Board Policy FF.

Presenter: On June 17, the 4J school board unanimously approves a community-driven process to rename an elementary school. 

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Image of César Chávez courtesy Movimiento, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.