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Parents urge council to intervene after Merced Dual Language Academy closure notice; parents report rapid interest to keep school open
Summary
Parents of students at the Merced Dual Language Academy told the council the Merced County Office of Education notified them of a sudden closure at the end of the school year, citing low enrollment and a budget deficit; parents say they have already collected dozens of new interest pledges and asked the council to advocate or help direct them to the county board.
Multiple parents addressed council during public comment to raise concern about the reported impending closure of the Merced Dual Language Academy, a Spanish‑English 50/50 immersion program serving TK through fourth grade and located in South Merced.
Parents’ description of events: parent Israel Salgado said families received a single message that the school would close at the end of the school year because the county office cited low enrollment and a budget deficit (he said the county presented figures showing $2.5 million in costs vs. $1.6 million in revenue). Parents said the message came with no prior warning. Within days of the announcement, parents organized an interest form and said 60–70 families signaled they would enroll children if the school remained open.
What parents want: parents asked the council to be aware, to use its connections with the county and to encourage the Merced County Office of Education to consider a probationary continuation or to engage with parent‑led efforts to demonstrate demand. Council members advised parents to attend and speak at upcoming Merced County Board of Education meetings and staff offered to provide information about where and when to speak to county trustees.
Next steps: parents reported active organizing on social media and local news outreach; they asked the council to monitor the county process and to consider any non‑infringing support the city can offer to preserve immersion instruction in South Merced.
