Ysleta Independent School District trustees are set to revisit how schools get their names, and potentially how they lose them, at a board meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. On the table is a rewrite of the district’s rules on renaming campuses, a move that could open a formal path to reconsider the name of Cesar Chavez Academy in the Lower Valley. The policy review comes as local leaders and communities across the country re-examine public honors honoring the late labor leader following national reporting on his legacy.
Board to revisit naming rules
The meeting agenda calls for a review of the district’s “Naming Facilities” regulation, which spells out criteria such as fostering “community pride and distinction” and selecting a campus name tied to “a prominent, respected individual with a record of high moral character,” according to Ysleta ISD. Local TV reporting notes that trustees will take up the policy item at the April 22 meeting, and that any rewrite could reshape how the district handles future requests to rename existing campuses.
Trustees press for a name review
At least one trustee has already gone public with a desire to revisit the Cesar Chavez name. Trustee Chris Hernandez told local outlets he believes the district should take another look at Cesar Chavez Academy in light of recent reporting. “Our schools are more than buildings. They represent the values we expect and teach our students every day,” Hernandez said in a statement reported by the El Paso Herald Post. Hernandez said he brought his concerns to board leadership and requested that the naming policy be reviewed.
About Cesar Chavez Academy
Cesar Chavez Academy is a Ysleta ISD campus in the Lower Valley at 7814 Alameda Ave. The school serves as an alternative and discipline campus for students assigned by their home campuses and through juvenile justice placements, according to the district’s campus page. That specialized role, combined with its location, means any board decision on naming rules would directly shape whether and how its name could be changed in the future.
National reporting that set off the debate
The local discussion follows a wide-reaching news investigation that reported sexual-abuse allegations involving Cesar Chavez, coverage that was summarized by national outlets and quickly filtered into community debates. NPR reported on how the New York Times investigation prompted swift reaction in communities around the country, as institutions scrambled to reassess how they honor Chavez. The fallout has included cancellations and renamings nationwide, and the Associated Press reports that California moved to rename César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day after the investigation became public.
What could happen next
Under current rules, if trustees approve a policy change, the superintendent would appoint an administrator to coordinate a naming review and then bring any recommended new campus name to the board for approval, a process the district’s regulations outline and local reporting has noted. The April 22 meeting will be the first formal chance for trustees to argue over the fine print of those rules in public and for residents to hear how the district plans to handle any push to rename Cesar Chavez Academy or other campuses.
