Santa Rosa City Schools to reinstate the Mariachi class at Elsie Allen High School
The Issue
Demand that Santa Rosa City Schools reinstate the Mariachi class at Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa, Ca.
For the 2026-2027 school year, the Mariachi class was scheduled for the Fall and Spring semesters. In August of 2026, Santa Rosa City Schools, withdrew the Spring semester offering and cancelled the Mariachi class.
Santa Rosa City Schools decided to cut the Mariachi class in order to replace it with a beginning piano class and another beginning guitar class.
Santa Rosa City Schools made this decision without communicating with the administration at Elsie Allen High School, the class teacher, the current Mariachi students, their families, or the community at large.
The administration, students, families, and community members are demanding the district to bring back the Mariachi class at Elsie Allen High School in the Spring semester of the 2026-2027 school year; and for the longevity of the high school.
Elsie Allen High School is the only high school on the Southwest side of Santa Rosa. Through the advocacy of the students, the music department expanded to include a Mariachi class. The school’s music director, Mr. Efrain Nava gladly accepted the task. What once began as a student-led club, founded by Jose Soto Jr., they are known today as the Mariachi Lobos de Elsie Allen High School.
Student interest in participating in the Mariachi class has increased because many of the students want to connect to their culture. The students want to make their families proud by playing music from their childhood, a part of their cultural history. Music and culture that was once underrepresented in high schools, is now being celebrated.
“I chose to join mariachi at Elsie Allen because it gave me an opportunity to be involved in my culture and give back to my community in a way that I love seeing the smile on people’s faces when they see us, and giving them joy.” Elizabeth Perez, sophomore at Elsie Allen High School.
“I joined mariachi because it’s a different experience than what I’ve done my whole life and I feel like I grew as a musician because of it. Being in mariachi means getting to experience a culture that I’ve never really had the chance to, especially since the only other option for mariachi would be through Luther Burbank mariachi.” Juan Garcia, freshman at Elsie Allen High School.
“I joined mariachi because I saw the popularity the class gained from last year alone was amazing. The mariachi went to a conference at UC Berkeley and performed at Disneyland. I am a Cambodian kid who is not used to hearing mariachi music, but grew up in Santa Rosa that is heavily populated with Mexican culture, it made me come to love mariachi music. Being in mariachi is something special to me because it’s new for someone in my family to learn the music of mariachi, a special opportunity in Sonoma County. With the opportunity I have through mariachi, I have the chance to be on stage performing for large crowds, making sure we leave them satisfied after hearing us perform. This is something to be taken seriously.” Taylor Makara Nhey, junior at Elsie Allen High School.
Since their inception in the Fall of the 2023-2024 school year, the Mariachi Lobos has become one of the prime music ambassadors for Elsie Allen High School representing the Santa Rosa community in Sonoma County’s first high school Mariachi group.
The evolution of the Mariachi class has grown immensely because more students are requesting the class each school year. When the class first began, students wore black slacks and black dress shirts with the traditional large bows in navy. Through countless fundraising, the students reached their $30,000.00 goal, and debuted their new charro suits in the Spring of 2026.
The Elsie Allen High School Mariachi Lobos has created a pathway for students to join mariachi through the collaboration with Cesar Chavez Language Academy in Santa Rosa. The newly formed mariachi group at the middle school creates an opportunity to connect both schools. Students at the high school have the ability to mentor the younger students and the middle school students have the chance to learn from their peers. This creates a beautiful circle of learning between both campuses. Students at the middle school see first hand all of the possibilities and potential of what they can become as musicians. These middle school students would like to continue with mariachi by choosing to attend Elsie Allen High School.
Please join us in celebrating the culture of Mariachi music and up lifting our students in the process.
SIGN OUR PETITION TO BRING BACK THE MARIACHI CLASS AT ELSIE ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL
The following is a list of all the community performances by the Mariachi Lobos de Elsie Allen High School:
2024
- Los Cien Youth Perspectives Spring 2024
2025
- Roseland 5 de Mayo Festival May 2025
- Penngrove Elementary Annual Fiesta May 2025
- Downtown Rohnert Park Car Show Sept. 2025
- Fort Bragg Unified School District Latino Heritage Month performance Oct. 2025
- Point Reyes Parachute Days Oct. 2025
- Sonoma State University Art Department Gallery Día De Los Muertos Catrinas Event & Concert October 2025
- EAHS Foundation Annual Fiesta Nov. 2025
- Transcendence Theater Company Latino Night 2025
2026
- North Bay Jobs with Justice May 1st International Workers March 2026
- Roseland 5 de Mayo Festival May 2026
- Penngrove Elementary Annual Fiesta May 2026
- Disneyland- Disney Imagination Campus Performance at Disney CA Adventure June 11, 2026: First
- North Bay Youth Mariachi to perform at Disneyland
- “Life at Elsie Allen High” Movie by FABA Films July 2026
- Sonoma County Fair August 2026: First Youth/High School mariachi to perform at the Sonoma County Fair
- Santa Rosa Junior College MEChA Conference 2026
- Sonoma State University Art Department Gallery Día De Los Muertos Catrinas Event & Concert October 2026
- EAHS Foundation Annual Fiesta Nov. 2026
- UC Berkeley Mariachi Luz de Oro Annual Mariachi Conference
To learn more about the Mariachi Lobos de Elsie Allen High School see the following links:
https://www.instagram.com/eahs_mariachi_lobos/
https://www.facebook.com/ElsieAllenHighSchoolMusic
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/news/local/santa-rosa-student-mariachi/4090414/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHTBbw-C26I
https://www.facebook.com/reel/4409049412677374
https://eahsfoundation.org/mariachi-lobos/
609
The Issue
Demand that Santa Rosa City Schools reinstate the Mariachi class at Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa, Ca.
For the 2026-2027 school year, the Mariachi class was scheduled for the Fall and Spring semesters. In August of 2026, Santa Rosa City Schools, withdrew the Spring semester offering and cancelled the Mariachi class.
Santa Rosa City Schools decided to cut the Mariachi class in order to replace it with a beginning piano class and another beginning guitar class.
Santa Rosa City Schools made this decision without communicating with the administration at Elsie Allen High School, the class teacher, the current Mariachi students, their families, or the community at large.
The administration, students, families, and community members are demanding the district to bring back the Mariachi class at Elsie Allen High School in the Spring semester of the 2026-2027 school year; and for the longevity of the high school.
Elsie Allen High School is the only high school on the Southwest side of Santa Rosa. Through the advocacy of the students, the music department expanded to include a Mariachi class. The school’s music director, Mr. Efrain Nava gladly accepted the task. What once began as a student-led club, founded by Jose Soto Jr., they are known today as the Mariachi Lobos de Elsie Allen High School.
Student interest in participating in the Mariachi class has increased because many of the students want to connect to their culture. The students want to make their families proud by playing music from their childhood, a part of their cultural history. Music and culture that was once underrepresented in high schools, is now being celebrated.
“I chose to join mariachi at Elsie Allen because it gave me an opportunity to be involved in my culture and give back to my community in a way that I love seeing the smile on people’s faces when they see us, and giving them joy.” Elizabeth Perez, sophomore at Elsie Allen High School.
“I joined mariachi because it’s a different experience than what I’ve done my whole life and I feel like I grew as a musician because of it. Being in mariachi means getting to experience a culture that I’ve never really had the chance to, especially since the only other option for mariachi would be through Luther Burbank mariachi.” Juan Garcia, freshman at Elsie Allen High School.
“I joined mariachi because I saw the popularity the class gained from last year alone was amazing. The mariachi went to a conference at UC Berkeley and performed at Disneyland. I am a Cambodian kid who is not used to hearing mariachi music, but grew up in Santa Rosa that is heavily populated with Mexican culture, it made me come to love mariachi music. Being in mariachi is something special to me because it’s new for someone in my family to learn the music of mariachi, a special opportunity in Sonoma County. With the opportunity I have through mariachi, I have the chance to be on stage performing for large crowds, making sure we leave them satisfied after hearing us perform. This is something to be taken seriously.” Taylor Makara Nhey, junior at Elsie Allen High School.
Since their inception in the Fall of the 2023-2024 school year, the Mariachi Lobos has become one of the prime music ambassadors for Elsie Allen High School representing the Santa Rosa community in Sonoma County’s first high school Mariachi group.
The evolution of the Mariachi class has grown immensely because more students are requesting the class each school year. When the class first began, students wore black slacks and black dress shirts with the traditional large bows in navy. Through countless fundraising, the students reached their $30,000.00 goal, and debuted their new charro suits in the Spring of 2026.
The Elsie Allen High School Mariachi Lobos has created a pathway for students to join mariachi through the collaboration with Cesar Chavez Language Academy in Santa Rosa. The newly formed mariachi group at the middle school creates an opportunity to connect both schools. Students at the high school have the ability to mentor the younger students and the middle school students have the chance to learn from their peers. This creates a beautiful circle of learning between both campuses. Students at the middle school see first hand all of the possibilities and potential of what they can become as musicians. These middle school students would like to continue with mariachi by choosing to attend Elsie Allen High School.
Please join us in celebrating the culture of Mariachi music and up lifting our students in the process.
SIGN OUR PETITION TO BRING BACK THE MARIACHI CLASS AT ELSIE ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL
The following is a list of all the community performances by the Mariachi Lobos de Elsie Allen High School:
2024
- Los Cien Youth Perspectives Spring 2024
2025
- Roseland 5 de Mayo Festival May 2025
- Penngrove Elementary Annual Fiesta May 2025
- Downtown Rohnert Park Car Show Sept. 2025
- Fort Bragg Unified School District Latino Heritage Month performance Oct. 2025
- Point Reyes Parachute Days Oct. 2025
- Sonoma State University Art Department Gallery Día De Los Muertos Catrinas Event & Concert October 2025
- EAHS Foundation Annual Fiesta Nov. 2025
- Transcendence Theater Company Latino Night 2025
2026
- North Bay Jobs with Justice May 1st International Workers March 2026
- Roseland 5 de Mayo Festival May 2026
- Penngrove Elementary Annual Fiesta May 2026
- Disneyland- Disney Imagination Campus Performance at Disney CA Adventure June 11, 2026: First
- North Bay Youth Mariachi to perform at Disneyland
- “Life at Elsie Allen High” Movie by FABA Films July 2026
- Sonoma County Fair August 2026: First Youth/High School mariachi to perform at the Sonoma County Fair
- Santa Rosa Junior College MEChA Conference 2026
- Sonoma State University Art Department Gallery Día De Los Muertos Catrinas Event & Concert October 2026
- EAHS Foundation Annual Fiesta Nov. 2026
- UC Berkeley Mariachi Luz de Oro Annual Mariachi Conference
To learn more about the Mariachi Lobos de Elsie Allen High School see the following links:
https://www.instagram.com/eahs_mariachi_lobos/
https://www.facebook.com/ElsieAllenHighSchoolMusic
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/news/local/santa-rosa-student-mariachi/4090414/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHTBbw-C26I
https://www.facebook.com/reel/4409049412677374
https://eahsfoundation.org/mariachi-lobos/
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Petition created on September 14, 2026