Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education members and staff join Guzman family members in cutting the ribbon to officially dedicate Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School. (Photo courtesy of the Santa Ana Unified School District) 
Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education members, district leaders and staff stand with Guzman family members inside the school office during the dedication ceremony. (Photo courtesy of the Santa Ana Unified School District) 
Guests hold umbrellas and sit beneath tents as they attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School during rainy weather. (Photo courtesy of the Santa Ana Unified School District)
Despite heavy rain, the Santa Ana Unified School District on Thursday dedicated the newly renamed and modernized Virginia and William Guzman Elementary School, marking a historic moment for the campus and the broader community.
Formerly Fremont Elementary School, the campus was officially renamed during a ceremony attended by SAUSD Board of Education members, district leaders, students, families and members of the Guzman family. Guests gathered under umbrellas for a ribbon-cutting ceremony before touring the updated school facilities.
Virginia and William Guzman were plaintiffs in the 1947 federal court case, Mendez, et al v. Westminster, et al, alongside the Mendez, Estrada, Palomino and Ramirez families. The landmark ruling declared the segregation of Mexican American children in California public schools unconstitutional and helped lay legal groundwork later reflected in Brown v. Board of Education.
Representatives from Santa Ana Unified said the dedication was inspired in part by student learning through ethnic studies, which highlighted the Guzman family’s role in the case and helped inform efforts to honor their legacy.
With the dedication, the newly renamed school became the second campus in the district named for families involved in the case, joining Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, which opened in 2000.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- OCDE will recognize seven outstanding counseling professionals at the 12th annual Orange County Counselor Symposium on Feb. 4, highlighting their impact on student success while offering learning sessions focused on academic, emotional and career support.
- OCDE is calling for visual and performing arts entries as the Orange County Arts and Disability Festival prepares to celebrate its 50th year of showcasing the talents of artists with disabilities.
- A Brea Olinda Unified trustee was absent from a second consecutive school board meeting following a December arrest, as district leaders outlined procedural limits on their response while noting the seat could be declared vacant if the absence continues.
- The Cypress School District is considering layoffs to close a projected $3.3 million budget shortfall for 2026-27, with a proposal set to be presented to the school board on Jan. 20 that could eliminate dozens of certificated and classified positions amid declining enrollment.
- Cal State Fullerton has received a $500,000 Google.org grant to lead a two-year AI literacy training initiative for educators in partnership with the Fullerton School District, Fullerton Joint Union High School District and Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District.
- The Los Angeles Unified School District warned of likely staff reductions and possible layoffs as the district faces declining enrollment, rising costs and significant budget uncertainty tied to state funding decisions and broader fiscal pressures affecting school systems across California.
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