San Francisco School Board Votes to Rename 44 Schools, Including Abraham Lincoln and George Washington High Schools

The San Francisco Unified School District voted this week to rename 44 schools named after controversial public figures, including former Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and current Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The school district, which has more than 57,000 students enrolled, is changing the schools named after historical figures linked to "the subjugation and enslavement of human beings; or who oppressed women, inhibiting societal progress; or whose actions led to genocide; or who otherwise significantly diminished the opportunities of those amongst us to the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," according to the text of the resolution.

The school board said it commissioned a panel of community leaders and students in May 2018 to formally identify schools and set up a process for the changes.

On Tuesday, the board voted 6-1.

Schools that will be renamed include: Abraham Lincoln High School, George Washington High School, Dianne Feinstein Elementary, Roosevelt Middle School, Jefferson Elementary and Alamo Elementary.

Lincoln was chosen based on "his treatment of First Nation peoples," teacher Jeremiah Jeffries told the San Francisco Chronicle in December 2020.

Washington and Jefferson were slaveowners.

Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor, was listed for reportedly ordering a Confederate flag to be replaced after it was torn down, according to the Sacramento Bee.