Families in two more Bay Area school districts are facing campus closures and the possibilty of having to start a new year in a different community.
The San Francisco Unified School District and the Franklin McKinley School District in San Jose are vowing to do what they can to protect their communities, but with sizeable budget deficits, something must give.
In the Franklin McKinley distict, as many as five schools could close and up to 50 teachers could lose their jobs. The district says it has 40% fewer students than 14 years ago, and lower enrollment mean fewer funds.
Parents plan to rally ahead of a school board meeting Tuesday, hoping to get the board to postpone a vote or ditch the vote altogether.
One of the schools is Captain Jason Dahl Elementary, named for the United Airlines pilot who died on 9/11.
Some parents are worried about their kids’ academics and social emotional learning. They’re also concerned about what it will mean to go to a different school farther from home.
The district addressed the possible closures in a statement:
“School districts throughout California are facing structural budget deficits driven by declining enrollment, lower birth rates and people moving away due to the high-cost of living. This is a process that weighs heavily on our community and we empathize with everyone who may be affected.”
San Francisco Unified’s board also is discussing its budget Tuesday, and one of the slides in the presentation is titled “Keeping the Lights On.”
In October, the district released a list of 13 schools that could close or merge, but that could be on hold for now.
Source: NBC Bay Area