About

Alicia Sanchez Elementary School

Alicia Sanchez Elementary is in the Boulder Valley School District in Lafayette, Colorado. It serves Kindergarten to Fifth grade students and offers preschool classes, both tuition-based and free for qualifying families, focusing on academic and developmental learning.

Who was Alicia Sanchez?

Alicia Sanchez was a beloved Latina activist and community advocate who lived in Lafayette, Colorado. Our school proudly carries her name to honor her legacy of compassion, service, and justice.

Alicia was named Boulder County Woman of the Year in 1977 and received the Susan B. Anthony Award in 1981 for her tireless work in support of others. Though she passed away in 1983, her impact continues to shape our community.

More information about Alicia Sanchez from Clinica​'s history webpage which she helped to start in 1977:

 

She was known by many as "la médica"—the doctor—because people turned to her when they were sick or injured and couldn’t afford medical care. A single mother of seven who lived with lupus and didn’t finish high school, Alicia still made time to care for others. Every week, she loaded her car—affectionately named “Rosie”—with neighbors in need and drove them to Denver’s University Hospital. She translated, advocated, and waited with them through long appointments.

Alicia Sanchez also helped found Clinica Campesina (now Clinica Family Health) in 1977, to bring affordable, compassionate healthcare to Lafayette and Louisville. At a time when there were few doctors and many underserved farmworker families in the area, Alicia’s work was life-changing.

Her legacy lives on in our halls, in our community’s values, and in the continued fight for equity, health, and dignity for all.