Santa Ana Unified School District has covered public facing signage at César Chávez High School as it begins the formal process of considering a new name.
This action follows the recent emergence of deeply concerning allegations related to César Chávez. The District is addressing these matters with care, transparency, and respect for the community.
The District will seek input from students, families, staff, and community partners to identify potential new names that better reflect community values.
Renaming the school is a priority for the Board of Education, and will follow an inclusive, community-driven process.
Community members are invited to submit proposed names for the campus by completing this short survey: bit.ly/4suDCQj.
The total cost to rename buildings, roads, and monuments in the wake of the March 2026 sexual abuse allegations against
It will cost more than $10M to remove Cesar Chavez’ name in California
César Chávez is estimated to exceed $10 million in California alone. This figure covers only the physical replacement of signs and restoration of original names for state and locally owned assets.
Estimated Costs by Category
Renaming efforts vary significantly based on the scale of the infrastructure:
- Major Thoroughfares: Costs can escalate quickly due to highway signage requirements. For example, San Francisco’s original 1995 renaming cost nearly $900,000 because highway signs on US-101 and I-280 had to be entirely replaced to accommodate the name.
- City Streets:
- Fresno: Recently spent $142,000 to rename a 10-mile stretch; officials estimate it will cost the same amount to restore the original street names.
- Bakersfield: City staff estimate roughly $30,000 for each city street sign replacement and $200,000 for larger freeway signs.
- Portland: The 2009 renaming of 39th Avenue to César E. Chávez Boulevard cost approximately $200,000 in materials and labor.
- Schools: Estimates for renaming individual schools or districts range from $400,000 to over $1 million. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has already voted unanimously to remove Chávez’s name and image from its campuses.
- Monuments and Statues: Removing or replacing a single controversial statue can cost between $140,000 and $300,000 depending on size and logistics.
Impact on Businesses and Local Governments
- Taxpayer Burden: Most costs for state and locally owned assets will fall on taxpayers via local budgets and general funds.
- Private Sector Costs: Local businesses on affected streets face “mounting costs” to update physical addresses on storefronts, websites, business cards, and legal documents.
- Administrative Hurdles: The process is expected to take years due to required community input, petitions (e.g., 2,500 signatures required in Portland), and city council approvals.
Top César Chávez Replacement Names
Community advocates and officials are proposing names that shift focus from Chávez as an individual to the broader labor and Hispanic civil rights movements:
- Dolores Huerta: Currently the leading candidate for renaming schools and major streets in Los Angeles, Portland, and Austin. Advocates argue her name preserves the labor movement’s legacy while honoring a survivor.
- Larry Itliong: A Filipino-American labor leader and key figure in the Delano grape strike, Itliong is being considered by groups at UC Davis and other California institutions to broaden the recognition of the movement’s diverse roots.
- Selena Quintanilla-Pérez: In Texas, specifically Lubbock, community members have proposed Selena Drive to maintain a positive focus on Hispanic cultural icons.
- Benito Juárez: In El Paso, officials have suggested renaming the César Chávez Border Highway to the Benito Juárez Highway due to its proximity to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
My suggestion for high school name: Alto Logro “High Achievement”