Board debates West‑side elementary reconfiguration after consolidation; public urges keeping Lincoln open

The Santa Rosa City Schools Board on Dec. 10 considered two options to complete a previously initiated elementary consolidation on the city’s West Side and heard extended public comment from parents, students and school‑based therapists.

Option 1 would reorganize grade spans into TK–3 primary campuses and a 4–6 upper elementary (placing Monroe and Lehman at TK–3 and converting Comstock to a 4–6 campus); that plan would close Lincoln Elementary and relocate students and some special‑education programs. Option 2 would retain full TK–6 campuses at the existing schools but would require adding portables at several sites to manage capacity. Staff presented multiple boundary map alternatives tied to either scenario.

Special‑education continuity and inclusion were central to trustees’ questions and public testimony. John Fisher, executive director of special services, told the board one of the goals is to avoid overconcentrating students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) at a single campus, and he highlighted last‑year disruptions that split some RISE program classes across multiple sites.

Many public speakers representing parents, classroom teachers and school‑based therapists urged the board not to close Lincoln. A parent whose child participates in an extensive support‑needs program said repeated site moves interrupted her child’s progress: "He didn't grow as much when he had to switch teachers every semester," she said, describing progress regained at Lincoln when instructional consistency returned.

Costs, capacity, and logistics

Staff and facilities directors outlined bond‑funded and general‑fund cost implications. Converting Comstock to a 4–6 campus would require site work, playground and fencing upgrades and classroom modernization; closing Lincoln would free elementary‑bond savings but create near‑term project costs (staff estimates show a net implementation cost in the mid‑millions once immediate conversion and modernization are included). Keeping all sites TK–6 (scenario 2) would likely be cost‑neutral in general‑fund staffing but requires temporary portable classrooms and presents DSA (Division of the State Architect) timeline constraints for installation.

Board action and next steps

After questions and public comment, a motion was offered to adopt scenario 2 with boundary option B (an alignment change that among other things lines Lincoln’s attendance area more directly with Santa Rosa High). Trustees debated whether to proceed immediately or to request additional analysis (including a demographic study due soon). Several trustees asked staff to return with more material showing the fiscal impact of alternatives (for example, the cost of keeping Steele Lane open) and to provide clearer plans for transport, DSA sequencing and the potential impact on student enrollment and walkability.

At the close of the discussion staff restated that if the board took no action that night, option C (status quo with targeted boundary adjustments) would remain in place; the board indicated it planned to use forthcoming demographic data to revisit boundaries in the new year.

Public concern

Speakers expressed a mix of practical concerns (bus routes, pick‑up logistics and safety) and educational appeals (continuity for vulnerable students, school‑based mental health supports). Several parents said they would consider moving schools or districts if their neighborhood school were closed again after the reconfiguration they experienced the prior year. Many asked the board to delay further disruptive changes until the district’s demographic report and additional staff analyses could be reviewed.

The board asked staff to provide follow‑up analyses on timelines, the specific portable needs tied to each option, and potential fiscal impacts of postponing closures so trustees can weigh those numbers against the district’s fiscal stabilization obligations in January and February.