Statement From Monterey County Office Of Education: Naming of a - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

The Alisal Union School District Board of Trustees unanimously voted to name its new school after Tiburcio Vásquez, who was a notorious California bandido convicted of murder in the late 1800s and became a folk hero to some.

There is no legally required procedure for naming a new public school in California. Education Code, section 17342, states only that the "governing board of any school district, whenever in its judgment it is desirable to do so, may establish additional schools in the district." Aspects of establishing new schools in a district, including selecting a name for the school, are left to the discretion of the local elected school board.

Federal and state law grants local school boards wide discretion to make educational decisions that affect their communities. In Board of Education v. Pico (1982) 457 U.S. 853, the United States Supreme Court held that local school boards must be permitted to "transmit community values" and noted that "there is a legitimate and substantial community interest in promoting respect for authority and traditional values."

School district boards are composed of elected officials who live in the community and are expected to represent the community's interests. Voters hold elected officials accountable by making their views known to their elected representatives and voting them into or out of office.

The Alisal school board's decision to name its new school after Tiburcio Vásquez is a local decision over which the County Superintendent of Schools has no control. In recent years the city of Salinas has been victimized by one of the highest rates of youth violence and murders in California and our nation.

"The Alisal community is striving to end youth violence and working hard to create a community of safety and peace. The name of the new elementary school in the Alisal district should symbolize the fulfillment of the best hopes and dreams parents and the community parents have for their children," said Dr. Nancy Kotowski, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools.