Brentwood School District Agrees to Name New School After Isaac R Montanez

Update: Last night the Brentwood Union School District School Board voted 5-0 to name its newest school in honor of Isaac R Montanez.  Many community members came out to celebrate Ike and speak on his behalf.

Original Story

Aug 8 – Brentwood School District to Consider Naming New School After Isaac R Montanez

If approved on September 13, Brentwood Union School District’s newest elementary school will be named Isaac R Montanez School.

The newest elementary school in the Brentwood Union School District, located at 2340 Smith Road, is currently under construction and on schedule to open for the 2024-25 school year.

In May, the Board of Education began a process by asking the community for suggestions for the naming of our newest school. Board members Steve Gursky and Emil Geddes led a naming committee that included past district honorees.

The naming committee reviewed the thoughtful community suggestions and are recommending that the district’s newest school be named Isaac R Montanez School. This recommendation will be an action item at the district’s September 13th, 2023 Board Meeting starting at 7PM, at 255 Guthrie Lane in Brentwood.

Isaac R. Montanez was born in Tempe, Arizona in 1936. His father was a farm worker and Isaac also worked in the fields as a young man. Education was very important, especially to his mother, who taught him the importance and love of reading. Isaac R. Montanez graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Education. He completed his Masters Degree in School Administration at California State University Sacramento.

After starting his education career in the Mount Diablo Unified School District, he served as a teacher, bilingual program director, principal and school board member in the Brentwood Union School District for almost thirty years. His last year as a school board member was in 2000.

He has continued to serve his community in retirement with several non-profits through steady volunteer work for decades. He has played significant roles supporting local non-profits like the Village Community Resource Center, A Place of Learning, One Day at a Time and the Brentwood Regional Community Chest. For several years, the family awarded a scholarship to a Hispanic student graduating from the Liberty Union High School District through the Isaac Montanez Family Scholarship Fund.

He was selected as Brentwood Citizen of the Year in 2005 and the Loma Vista library is named in his honor. He has lived in Brentwood for 51 years.

Superintendent Dana Eaton shared, “I am thrilled that the Board is considering naming our newest school after Isaac R. Montanez. Not only did he serve this community for decades as an educator, but continued his work on behalf of students decades into retirement. Our school district and Brentwood are both much better today because of his legacy of service.”

Previous Story:

• May 11 – Brentwood School District Seeks Help Naming New School
• May 3 – Brentwood Breaks Ground on New Elementary School