Sac City Unified board votes to begin closure of George Washington Carver High amid funding shortfall

The Sacramento City Unified School District board voted April 20 to initiate the self‑closure of George Washington Carver High School, citing a projected budget shortfall that staff said the school could not sustain through 2026‑27.

The board approved Resolution 3574 after a presentation from district charter‑oversight staff that showed Carver’s projected enrollment and revenues would not cover next year’s basic operating costs without an additional $200,000–$400,000 in one‑time support. The motion to begin a June 30, 2026, self‑closure passed on a 4–3 roll‑call vote: Members Jean, Cayetano, Benjamin and Ibarra voted yes; Members Navarro, Rhodes and Singh voted no.

The board’s action followed a lengthy public comment period during which dozens of Carver students, parents, alumni and teachers described the school as a unique, small public Waldorf‑inspired campus that supports many students with disabilities and social‑emotional needs. Miles Daniels, student body president, asked trustees to spare the school: “Please don’t make my freshman stress about making new friends. Please do not let me be the last student body president to give a graduation speech at Carver.”

District staff presented a three‑part solvency test: ending the current year with nonnegative cash, next year’s enrollment meeting revenue targets, and a 2026‑27 budget that remains above zero throughout the year. Carver met the first test (staff said the school will not run out of money before June 30, 2026) but did not meet the latter two. Staff reported best‑case enrollment of about 175 students for 2026‑27, short of the roughly 190 students they calculated would be needed to break even.

Community leaders offered possible alternatives. Rancho Cordova’s mayor, Garrett Gatewood, told the board his city would consider adopting Carver and “take the school, the kids and the teachers,” an offer that Mayor Gatewood said could include a funding commitment. District legal staff and trustees warned there is no immediate statutory mechanism to transfer a district‑authorized charter to another jurisdiction without a multi‑year petition and re‑authorization process; any such approach would require the charter to close first and then reopen under a different authorizer.

Trustees also heard that the Wilton Rancheria tribal leadership and the City of Rancho Cordova were exploring one‑time donations potentially large enough to close Carver’s 2026‑27 gap, but district staff said no such funds had been received at the time of the vote. Several trustees stressed that a short, firm deadline for offers and documentation was necessary if the board were to consider reversing its vote.

Board members split on the policy and timing questions. Supporters of the closure motion said delaying action would leave families and staff without clarity ahead of open‑enrollment periods and May layoff/placement notices. Opponents said closing a school with so many students with specialized needs would be traumatic and urged the board to hold the decision until concrete funding or a formal adoption offer was on the table.

The board directed staff to continue discussions with Carver families, to work with community partners that offered assistance, and to report back to the board if binding commitments arrive. The district also surveyed Carver families; staff said roughly half of responding families live outside district boundaries and many indicated they would return to their neighborhood schools if Carver closes. Staff warned that closure will trigger impact notices for all Carver positions and would require reassigning students and programs (including a SCOE special‑education program on the Carver campus).

What happens next: Staff said they will accept offers of funding or proposals from external agencies but that any transfer or adoption would require a formal process that cannot be completed “overnight.” The district calendar and upcoming open‑enrollment windows mean families need placement clarity quickly; staff set an informal window for compelling offers to be received within the coming days so the board could reconsider the decision if formal, verifiable commitments arrive.