California elementary school to be named after Michelle Obama

A school district in California has unanimously voted to rename one of its elementary schools in honor of former first lady Michelle Obama.

As a result, the West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education will be renaming Wilson Elementary School, which is based in El Cerrito, Calif., the Michelle Obama Elementary School, an announcement said.

{mosads}Stephanie Hernandez-Jarvis, the president of the board, said in a statement that “naming this school after Michelle Obama is a sign of the school’s rebirth.”

“We can see the new physical structure being built, but this name change sets high expectations for the students and staff as they enter a new era for this school and this school community,” she continued. “The parents and students advocated to rename their school after Michelle Obama because they believe the values our former First Lady embodies and the educational, child-centered causes she champions, are representative of what we all aspire to nurture in our school communities.”

“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,” she added of Obama.

The move came after the school’s PTA first requested the name change. After the request, the school said two public meetings between parents, students and others in the community were held last month, during which all members voted unanimously in favor of the name change.

Maisha Cole, the president of the school’s PTA, said those involved “wanted to choose someone on a global level.”

“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,” she added in a statement.

The school, which more than 400 students in K-6 grade attend, said a new building will be built by the time the school begins the following school year under the new name. 

According to the school’s announcement, the school is the first in Northern California to be named after Obama and the second in the entire state.