Calexico school board renames Cesar Chavez Elementary School

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) - An elementary school in Calexico has a brand new name following a unanimous school board vote.

Calexico Unified School District (CUSD) voted to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary School to Desert Valley Elementary School Thursday night.

CUSD says the title is intended to celebrate the unique landscape and natural beauty of southeastern California's desert region.

More than 1,000 community members, students and staff voted in a survey to help pick the geographic option.

"You know, very few of us will ever have an opportunity to be part of something like this to name a school, so...if there's a silver lining on the positive side, our students had an incredible opportunity to be part of history," said Arturo Jimenez, Superintendent for CUSD.

The change is happening this upcoming school year.

CUSD is now working with the California Department of Education to finalize the formal name change process.