Lynwood Unified advisory committee recommends closing Wilson and Lugo, leaves Rosa Parks under review

The Lynwood Unified Facilities Optimization Committee on May 11 recommended the district board consider closing two elementary campuses—Wilson and Lugo—and confirmed a plan to relocate Hustler Middle School to the current Lynwood High School campus when the district’s new Lynwood High opens in fall 2027.

Committee members reached consensus that Wilson and Lugo are appropriate candidates to recommend to the board because both campuses have low enrollment and significant facility needs. "We're going to keep this moving," said Joe Pandalfo, the consultant who led the presentation, introducing the day's agenda and data review. The committee also emphasized that the primary goal is to improve the educational experience, not to realize operating savings.

Why it matters: district staff told the committee that Lynwood’s facilities master plan identifies about $250 million in capital needs across the district while voters approved an $80 million bond in November 2024. Pursuing consolidation would let the district concentrate limited bond funds on fewer campuses. Staff estimated one closed school can generate roughly $500,000–$750,000 in recurring annual operating savings, and restoring a closed site to good condition generally costs about $10–12 million; building a new elementary kitchen from scratch could cost about $20 million.

Legal and process overview: Terrence Gallagher, the district’s general counsel, briefed members on the surplus‑property process and the district’s options after a board declares a site surplus. He said the 7‑Eleven committee—a community advisory panel that typically has seven to 11 members—will be formed to recommend reuse of surplus property and that the board of trustees retains final authority. Asked whether an on‑campus charter would have a legal right to remain, Gallagher said, "The short answer is no," explaining the earlier statutory preference for charter occupancy has changed and disposition requires compliance with applicable laws.

How members decided: small‑group work and slides showing student scatter plots and 15‑ to 20‑minute walking distances were central to the discussion. Groups uniformly recommended Wilson and Lugo; Lincoln, which sits near the district boundary, was not recommended because members worried families there might enroll elsewhere and because the campus is geographically isolated. Committee members were split on Rosa Parks: some argued in favor of closing it now so families would not experience repeated moves, while others urged monitoring enrollment and revisiting the site in two years as neighboring closures (if any) shift enrollment patterns.

On next steps, staff said the committee’s recommendations will go to the board; the 7‑Eleven committee would later advise the board on surplus property reuse if the board approves closures. The Facilities Optimization Committee scheduled a follow‑up meeting in two weeks to review additional requested data and to give members time to consider the impacts and communications strategy. "We want everyone to be informed—communication is going to be key," the chair said at the close of the meeting.

What remains unresolved: Rosa Parks’ future (committee split), how the district will prioritize limited bond funds among remaining campuses, and detailed boundary redraws if closures move forward. The board retains final decision authority; nothing formally changes until the board takes action.