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Board directs staff to draft timeline to evaluate potential school consolidations
Summary
Facing declining enrollment, trustees unanimously directed the superintendent to develop a report and timeline to evaluate potential site consolidations, with community and labor engagement required before any decisions.
The board voted unanimously Jan. 14 to direct the superintendent and cabinet to develop a report and timeline for evaluating possible school reorganizations and consolidations in response to declining enrollment.
Trustees and public commenters described the district as ‘‘about 58% occupied’’ on average and noted the fiscal and programmatic inefficiencies of under‑used sites. Several speakers urged that any process include robust community engagement, labor partner involvement and careful equity analysis so that closures don’t exacerbate access gaps or remove critical services for vulnerable students.
Trustees emphasized a methodical approach: use of CSBA tools, creation of a stakeholder committee (including parents, teachers, union representatives and city partners), surveys of parent preferences, and a multi‑step timeline that would likely span months to years. Several trustees stressed that some projects in the Measure M pipeline must be evaluated in light of any potential reorganization so bond funds are sequenced responsibly.
The board did not identify specific campuses at this stage; the motion asked staff to return with a process and timeline for consideration.
Next step: superintendent and cabinet to prepare a report setting out criteria, community‑engagement plans, potential timelines and a process for evaluating sites, then return to the board for study sessions.
