BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Bakersfield City School District Board of Education is beginning a process to rename Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School by asking for name suggestions from the community.

In a letter, it said, “As the District moves forward with this process, the Board of Education has emphasized the importance of ensuring that the school’s future identity honors and reflects the legacy, contributions, values, and enduring impact of the community it serves, especially farmworkers and agricultural families who have helped shape and strengthen our community.”

They are inviting students, staff, families, and community members to participate by submitting their name recommendations for the school.

Recommendations can be submitted here.

BCSD said all recommendations must align with Board Policy 300.34, Naming of Facility, and include a written rationale explaining the significance of the proposed name and how it reflects the values and history important to the Chavez school community. “The District recognizes the important history and culture that exists at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School and is committed to conducting a thoughtful, respectful, and inclusive process that values community voice and preserves the strong connection many families and students have to the school.”

Recommended names must align with Board Policy 300.34, Naming of Facility, by meeting one of the following criteria:

Individuals, living or deceased, who have made outstanding contributions to the Bakersfield City School District and/or the Bakersfield community,Individuals, living or deceased, who are or were local, state, or national figures who have made truly significant contributions to the community, to Kern County, the state, or nation. In recognition of the specific geographic area or locales in which the school or building is locatedAuthors, poets, historical figures who have attained national prominence in the fields of education, science, the arts, statesmanship, civic leadership, or an early pioneer of Bakersfield, Kern County, or the State of California.Former United States Presidents, living or deceased.

Recommendations may be submitted by 4 p.m. on May 22, 2026.