Eugene's 4J School District is now taking public nominations to rename César Chávez Elementary School, with submissions open through October 23. Principal Kevin Gordon said anyone in the community can put forward an idea, though the school especially wants to hear from current and former students and their families.
The nomination window marks the next concrete step in a renaming process that Eugene 4J's school board formally launched when it voted to move forward after survey data showed 67% of surveyed staff and families supported changing the school's name, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Gordon said the goal is to land on a name rooted in the school's hopes, dreams and current practices rather than simply swapping one historical figure for another. The elementary school is also planning age-appropriate renaming activities for its third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students as the process unfolds, the outlet reports.
Crucially, the new name won't be decided by a simple popularity contest. A district Name Advisory Committee will narrow the submitted suggestions using a set of specific criteria: connection to Eugene and the school, historical and cultural significance, student belonging and inclusion, educational value, appropriateness, and compliance with school board policy. The committee will research the name suggestions it receives before moving forward with any finalists, per the same account.
How the Timeline Plays Out From Here
The Name Advisory Committee will first share finalist names for community feedback Nov. 9–20; current Chávez families and staff will then rank up to three final names, which the committee will send to the school board. The public will then weigh in ahead of a planned board vote in February 2027, the report notes.
According to Lookout Eugene-Springfield, early feedback submitted to district leaders suggested many community members want the new name to honor a historic Latina leader, a local natural feature, or an Indigenous landmark rather than another individual person.
Eugene 4J also updated its school-naming policy in June, according to Eugene School District 4J. The updated policy emphasizes student belonging, appropriateness and cultural significance as it steers the committee's evaluation of nominations.
Why the School's Name Is Under Review
César Chávez Elementary was dedicated under its current name in 2004 to honor the farm labor activist's civil rights legacy, giving Eugene's Latino community a prominent point of cultural pride, the Register-Guard reported. That legacy came under national scrutiny after a March 2026 New York Times investigation, built on five years of reporting and more than 60 interviews, detailed allegations that Chávez sexually abused women who said they were 13 and 15 when he abused them.
That same day, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association alongside Chávez, said in a public statement that Chávez sexually assaulted her twice in the 1960s, resulting in two pregnancies, and that she had kept the assaults secret for six decades to protect the farmworker movement. In the wake of the revelations, educational institutions across Oregon began reexamining honors bearing Chávez's name, including Portland Public Schools' César Chávez School in North Portland and Oregon State University's César Chávez Cultural Center in Corvallis, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Schools named after Chávez also remain in Portland and Salem, per OPB's reporting on the Eugene nomination process.
Eugene Joins a National Wave of Renamings
Eugene's review is unfolding alongside a wider pattern of districts moving away from the Chávez name this year. California's Davis Joint Unified School District renamed its elementary school Monarca Elementary in June, while Texas's Fort Worth Independent School District renamed its campus Esperanza Elementary in May, Hoodline previously reported on Fort Worth's 9-0 vote. Sacramento-area districts have pursued similar changes.
For now, Eugene 4J's open call for nominations leaves the final name undetermined. Families and students have until October 23 to submit ideas, with the ranking, finalist selection and ultimate board vote still months away.
