Community rallies to honor educators with school renaming efforts

During a recent school board meeting, community members passionately advocated for the renaming of local schools to honor influential educators. Cynthia Del Castillo Santos urged the board to rename Morningside Elementary to Del Castillo Morningside, emphasizing the importance of recognizing her great aunt, Rosa El Castillo, who dedicated 43 years to education in Brownsville. Santos argued that honoring El Castillo's legacy is crucial for the community and the students, asking board members to consider how they would feel if their family names were not honored.

Following Santos, Bertha Welker, a retired educator, spoke in favor of naming a school after Josephine Castaneda, a pioneering teacher who dedicated 50 years to educating children in Brownsville. Welker highlighted Castaneda's remarkable achievements, including her status as a top graduate and her commitment to education during a time when few women pursued teaching careers. She expressed concern over the interpretation of community survey results regarding the naming process and suggested a hyphenated name, Casaneda-Kromak, to better reflect the contributions of both individuals.

The discussions underscored the community's desire to honor the legacies of dedicated educators and ensure their contributions are recognized in the naming of local schools. The school board is expected to deliberate on these proposals in the coming weeks.