A school in Northern California has decided to change its name to honor former first lady Michelle Obama.
The West Contra Costa Unified School District Board unanimously voted to change the name of Wilson Elementary School to Michelle Obama Elementary School, CNN reports. The parent-teacher association proposed the name change to the school board, which went along with the idea. The school was originally named after President Woodrow Wilson.
"We wanted to choose someone on a global level," Maisha Cole, president of the Wilson Elementary PTA, told the news outlet. "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."
The elementary school is the second in California to honor the former first lady. The Michelle Obama Elementary, located in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest public school system in California, was first in 2012.
But the elementary school won't simply be receiving a new name — it will also be rebuilt for the following school year.
The school's leaders are excited about the change. "We have the opportunity to have a beautiful new school named after a person who really represents our diversity and values," Claudia Velez, the school's principal, told CNN. "Our school is diverse, modern and innovative, and the things that the kids will be doing will prepare them for a very strong and successful future in whatever career they choose."
Former President Barack Obama and his wife have several schools named after them across the country. The ex-commander-in-chief has 21 schools named after him, including 2 that include his wife's name: Barack and Michelle Obama Service Learning Elementary in Saint Paul, Minnesota and Barack and Michelle Obama Academy in Atlanta. There's also the Michelle Obama School of Technology and the Arts in Park Forest, Illinois.
