Roosevelt School District drops Cesar Chavez name, approves Rio Vista in unanimous vote

The Roosevelt School District governing board voted unanimously to change Cesar Chavez Community School to Rio Vista Community School.

The name change comes after sexual abuse allegations against the late labor leader and school namesake came out earlier this year.

The district had three choices for renaming the school: Rio Vista, Corazon or keeping the school named Cesar Chavez until the building is rebuilt.

The school is scheduled to be rebuilt using a 2024 voter-approved bond but doesn’t have a construction timeline yet, said a district spokesperson.

Another option included changing the name but keeping the current signs until the building is rebuilt. Board President Ashley Hodge opposed that idea.

“I want to add the rebranding too, because I think that’s important. I don’t think that we should change the name and still have the old stuff there lingering if we can,” Hodge said during the Tuesday board meeting. “If we’re making a change, like, let’s make the change. Let’s move forward and be bold.”

Rio Vista is both an old and new name

The district received over 500 responses to a community survey about the renaming, with 41% supporting Rio Vista as the new name. The building was originally called Rio Vista before being switched to Cesar Chavez.

“I just want to say how much I appreciate all the community members that took the time to participate in the survey express and allow their voice to be carried out,” board member Michael Butts said.

During the meeting, the district revealed the name change will cost about $19,000, which includes new sports uniforms for the schools’ teams and a new sign.

The district’s vote follows a New York Times investigation detailing allegations that Chavez sexually abused multiple women, including United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta and the minor daughters of fellow organizers.

Following the Times’ report, the Phoenix City Council voted unanimously to strip local parks, libraries, streets and public buildings of Chavez’s name. The city also officially renamed Cesar Chavez Day, changing the name to “Farmworkers Day” to shift the focus from Chavez to the labor movement itself.

The Phoenix Union High School District also voted to change the name of Cesar Chavez High School to Cactus Canyon High School in May.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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