The San Francisco Unified School District board is slated to reverse its plan to rename 44 schools it alleged were linked to racism or sexism.
The San Francisco Board of Education voted in January to change the names of several schools named after historical figures, including Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. An elementary school named after California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein was also voted on by the board to be dropped.
The board is expected to approve a resolution on Tuesday that would suspend renaming efforts, the Los Angeles Times reported. It could help the district avoid costly litigation and tone down critics who denounced the plans.
In February, Board of Education Commissioner Gabriela Lopez released a statement saying that the board plans to shelve efforts to rename schools, citing “the board’s focus to bring our students back into our schools. We must stay focused on reopening.”
SAN FRANCISCO BOARD HALTS PLAN TO RENAME 44 SCHOOLS WITH NAMES LINKED TO SLAVERY AND OPPRESSION
The board will reexamine the renaming effort once students are back in classrooms full time, Lopez said Monday.
“There is a hope and opportunity to uplift communities that are often underrepresented,” Lopez said. “It deserves more full attention than we’re able to give right now.”
Some parents, students, and elected officials decried San Francisco’s plan to rename the 44 schools as ill-timed activism given the immediate needs of students, such as returning to full-time, in-person classes following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former President Donald Trump slammed the board’s January decision, calling it “crazy.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed, a Democrat, criticized the renaming efforts for being a skewed priority amid a pandemic.
After the January vote, the city sued the school district on Feb. 3 to force the board to bring students back to in-person learning. Students will begin returning to classrooms next week, and Lopez said the board is committed to bringing all students back by fall.
The district also faced threats of lawsuits by a group of high school alumni associations alleging that the board violated the Brown Act, which governs how public meetings are run, and denied due process by neglecting to involve school community members.
Future decisions on school renaming efforts will allow more community input from school administrators and families, Lopez added.
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The Washington Examiner contacted the San Francisco Unified School District but did not immediately receive a response.
