El Sobrante middle school renamed to honor parks ranger Betty Reid Soskin

An El Sobrante middle school will be renamed in honor of Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin after a vote by the West Contra Costa Unified School District’s Board of Education last week.

The name change came after eight months of consideration to turn Juan Crespi Middle School into Betty Reid Soskin Middle School. According to the district, social justice movements during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired the school to assign students a project researching their former namesake, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, and the mission system’s exploitation of the Indigenous people living in California.