Dixie School District Changes Controversial Name After Months Of Debate
SAN RAFAEL (CBS SF) -- After months of debate, the Dixie School District Board voted Tuesday to change its name after critics said it was linked to the Confederacy and slavery.
The district will be called the Miller Creek Elementary School District in time for the 2019-20 school year, which begins on August 22. The vote passed 3-1 (with one abstention) Tuesday evening after the board held public comment for four names presented by petition, district officials said.
In addition to renaming the school district, a school that shared the Dixie name was renamed Lucas Valley Elementary School following approval from the board.
"The three names presented for the school came about as a result of a naming process led by students that narrowed a pool of names down to 13, which were then voted upon by the students, families and staff," district officials said in a statement.
"We are thrilled to have these decisions made so we can start the year off on a positive note," said Board President Brad Honsberger.
The district serves nearly 2,000 students in Marin County and includes three elementary schools and one middle school.