Hawaiian Gardens council to send letter urging ABC Unified School District to keep Ferguson Elementary open

The Hawaiian Gardens City Council on Sept. 24 voted unanimously to prepare and send a letter to the ABC Unified School District expressing the city’s preference that Ferguson Elementary remain open.

Council members framed the letter as part of a broader effort to understand the district’s consolidation timeline and to identify concrete steps the city and community can take to support enrollment at local schools.

The council’s vote follows weeks of public comment and discussion after the district announced a multi‑year consolidation plan intended to address declining enrollment. ABC Unified School District trustee Francisco Noyola told the council the district has recorded a districtwide enrollment decline of 336 students this year and that staff recommended an optimal elementary school size of about 450 to 500 students. Noyola said Ferguson’s current enrollment is around 300 but that roughly 500 students live in the Ferguson attendance area, and he urged Hawaiian Gardens residents to re‑enroll neighborhood students at Ferguson to help sustain the school.

Council members and parents at the meeting raised several concerns about the planned reconfiguration, including access to transportation, the safety of children crossing major streets for pick‑up and drop‑off, continuity of dual language immersion cohorts and the mental‑health impacts on students who would be shifted to unfamiliar campuses. One speaker summarized parents’ concerns about time and emotional cost: many parents attended long school board meetings and said they felt unheard despite repeated advocacy.

The council discussion also included questions about capital funding tied to Ferguson. Speakers referenced bond and grant funds allocated for Ferguson’s improvements — described in the meeting as “over $4 million,” with one remark suggesting an allocation cited previously of about $4.9 million — and asked whether those funds would be delayed or repurposed should the school close. Council members said they wanted clarification from the district about the status of those funds before any final decisions are implemented.

To give the city a concrete target for recruitment efforts, trustees and council members discussed enrollment thresholds. Noyola said district staff recommended the 450–500 range as an optimal school size; he and council members encouraged a local outreach campaign, door‑knocking and coordination with the district’s recently hired marketing vendor to try to increase enrollment.

The council’s motion directs staff to draft a letter to the ABC Unified School District reflecting the city’s position that it prefers Ferguson Elementary remain open and asking for more detail about next steps, timelines, and the status of any funds allocated to Ferguson. The motion passed on a roll call vote: Council member Farfan — yes; Council member Roa — yes; Council member Vargas — yes; Mayor Pro Tem del Rio — yes; Mayor De Pala — yes.

City staff and trustees said the city would continue to meet with district officials and families and that the letter would convey the community’s concerns and request additional information the district can provide to guide local recruitment and program decisions.