A San Francisco Bay-area elementary school is being renamed in honor of former first lady Michelle Obama, marking the second school in the state to bear her name.
The West Contra Costa Unified School District Board said in a press release that it had voted unanimously to rename Wilson Elementary School as Michelle Obama Elementary School, CNN reported Wednesday.
The elementary school, located in El Cerrito, is being rebuilt for the 2020-2021 school year.
The district voted for the change after the school's PTA made the recommendation. An ad hoc committee then held two public meetings to get input from parents, students, and the community, and on Jan. 23 it voted unanimously to recommend the name change. The full board also approved the change.
"We wanted to choose someone on a global level," Wilson PTA president Maisha Cole said. "With a new school and new learning environment, we want our children to think beyond Richmond, to think beyond California, and remind them that they can make a difference locally and globally."
Board president Stephanie Hernandez-Jarvis said the name change "sets high expectations for the students and staff as they enter a new era for this school and this school community ... she is a role model for our children and we strive to serve our students with the same kind of love, advocacy, and courage that she served our country."
Principal Claudia Velez said she also welcomes the new name, as Obama "really represents our diversity and values. Our school is diverse, modern and innovative, and the things that the kids will be doing will prepare them for a very strong and successful future in whatever career they choose."
There is also a Michelle Obama Elementary in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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