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Families, students and staff urge East Side board to halt proposed closure of Escuela Popular
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Summary
At a March 26 special meeting, dozens of students, parents, staff and community advocates urged the East Side Union High School District board to pause a proposed closure or charter revocation affecting Escuela Popular, citing the school's cultural role, support services and concerns about transparency and process.
Dozens of students, parents, staff and community members told the East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees on March 26 that proposed action to close or revoke the charter of Escuela Popular would destabilize students and dismantle long-standing community supports.
The public comment period lasted more than an hour and featured students who said they view Escuela Popular as a ‘‘home’’ and parents and staff who described the program as a culturally responsive hub for Latino families. ‘‘Please do not close Escuela Popular. Stand with us. Protect the future of our students,’’ said Norberto Perez, a student who opened public comment.
Why it matters: speakers said Escuela Popular offers flexible scheduling, childcare and language supports that help adult learners and children alike, and they warned that a closure would uproot students, increase emotional stress and reduce educational opportunity. Maria Caballero, program case manager at Escuela Popular, said families ‘‘are losing their sense of safety, stability, and trust’’ and urged trustees to honor community input.
Teachers and school leaders pressed the board on the process behind the district’s recommendation. ‘‘The currently proposed MOU . . . would place decision making authority for charter revocation with the district superintendent,’’ said Maeva Jennifer Prophet, a teacher, calling the move ‘‘dangerous and undemocratic.’’ Ivan Garcia, strategic programs and grants manager at Escuela Popular, told trustees the school had demonstrated high levels of credential compliance, saying the school’s documentation showed it was ‘‘95% in compliance’’ and asking the board to make its review public.
Speakers also criticized how the district scheduled past meetings, saying late-night sessions prevented many working families from participating. Naomi Castro, an 11th-grade student, said at a prior meeting ‘‘many of us had to wait until nearly midnight just for the chance to speak,’’ and urged the board to run a more accessible process.
Board response and next steps: The trustees recessed into closed session after public comment. The presiding officer announced there was nothing to report at adjournment; no public vote or formal action on Escuela Popular was recorded during this special meeting. The community speakers asked the board to pause any closure decision, provide clearer compliance documentation and engage directly with families before proceeding.
What was not decided: The board did not adopt or reject any motion on closure or charter revocation at this meeting. Several speakers alleged political motives and procedural shortcomings; no district rebuttal or formal staff presentation responding to those specific claims was recorded in the public portion of the meeting.
The board scheduled no further public action during the session; community members said they would continue to press for transparency and to elevate the issue in future meetings and public forums.
