Madison Reporter

On the first day of the 2024–25 school year, Leopold Elementary School unveiled a new, culturally inclusive mural by local artist Rodrigo Carapia. The mural is located inside the school’s main entrance and honors Leopold’s Latinx/Hispanic community while acknowledging its status as a dual-language immersion (DLI) school.

"This mural was made with a lot of love for the school and the Leopold community,” Carapia said. “My intention was to represent unity, solidarity, culture, love, education and nature—and that art makes all students feel welcome. I want the community to enjoy it and I hope that we continue working toward future artistic projects that we need in our schools and city."

The project was led by Cindy Diaz, an MMSD community schools resource coordinator who has been serving the Leopold community since 2022. She reached out to Carapia after hearing from families about their desire for increased representation in the school’s physical spaces.

“One of my favorite aspects of this work is being able to have honest interactions and build authentic relationships with the community and working to provide services, including those that extend beyond the classroom,” Diaz said. “It was important to show our families that their voice matters and we hear them.”

Leopold’s enrollment includes approximately 300 students who identify as Latinx/Hispanic heritage, representing roughly 40% of its total population.

"Leopold is a school where everyone is welcome, where we can share our experiences and collaborate,” said Anita Alejandro, a Leopold parent. “This mural is an authentic representation of our culture that shows that we are taken into account. When I see it, I feel proud of my culture and of being part of this community.”

As a community school—one of the equity projects supported by the district's budget and part of an upcoming operations referendum—it connects not only students and families but also neighbors and other Madison residents with critical supports like no-cost health care, academic tutoring, mentoring, food access, and parent leadership opportunities.

“It’s my hope that this artwork will resonate with our students, our families, our staff and all who support our mission,” said Marisa Flowers, Leopold’s principal. “It exemplifies everything we strive to be here—bright, united and welcoming—and I’m grateful to all who had a hand in bringing it to life.”

As with all MMSD schools, Leopold Elementary opened its doors to 4K and kindergarten on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd., welcoming all other students on Wednesday.