DELANO, Calif. — The Delano Joint Union High School District has officially renamed Cesar E. Chavez High School to Chavez Collegiate High School, but the decision is continuing to draw criticism from some students and community members who say the new name does not reflect the fresh start they were hoping for.
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the new name during a duly noticed meeting on June 29 after months of public discussion following sexual abuse allegations involving the late labor leader, Cesar Chavez. The district said the decision was made after considering the school’s identity, the Delano community, and its obligations under the original land purchase agreement.
The renaming process began earlier this year when the Board voted to move forward with changing the school’s name and formed a citizens advisory committee to help guide the process. Because of an agreement tied to the purchase of the school property, the district initially limited replacement names to 10 options that had been created during the school’s original naming process in 2002. Those names included Mountain View High School, El Dorado High School, Millennium High School, Memorial High School, International High School, South Delano High School, Century High School, Unity High School, Harvest High School and Freedom High School…