BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The showdown to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Bakersfield is now down to two powerful contenders, and the decision is just days away.
One option, Helen Chavez Elementary, honors the late wife of Cesar Chavez and a steadfast voice in the farmworker movement. The other, Sí Se Puede Elementary — Spanish for “Yes, we can” — carries the rallying cry that inspired generations.
A Bakersfield City School District spokesperson says the board is determined to preserve local history, honor the farmworker legacy, reflect the district’s rich diversity, and keep listening to the community before casting the final vote.
An advisory committee combed through 866 survey responses submitted between May 11 and May 22, 2026, but in the end, the school board holds the power to choose.
Community members can help shape that decision, the board will hear public comment on June 23, 2026, before taking final action.
The decision to rename the school follows a bombshell New York Times investigation that uncovered disturbing allegations against labor leader Cesar Chavez. Multiple women say they were sexually assaulted by Chavez during the 1960s and 1970s. Some were minors.
Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers Union alongside Dolores Huerta in Delano, is accused of wrongdoing by Huerta herself. She told the paper she was sexually assaulted by Chavez once and coerced into intimacy on another occasion.
In the wake of these revelations, cities, schools, and states across the nation have moved swiftly to strip Chavez’s name from public sites and institutions.
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