School closures: Santa Rosa and Vallejo districts vote to shut down several campuses

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- It was a contentious night at school board meetings in the Bay Area, as board members in Santa Rosa and Vallejo voted to close several schools, while other decisions were tabled.

The Santa Rosa School Board voted to close three elementary schools but held off on voting on the closure of a high school and three middle schools. Vallejo School Board also voted to close an elementary and a middle school.

The districts cite budget deficits and declining enrollment but saw pushback from residents, parents, and students.

SANTA ROSA

Some families in the Santa Rosa City School District are in limbo, not knowing whether their schools will be closed due to budget cuts.

A contentious school board meeting ended Wednesday night with the board voting on only part of a budget balancing plan.

Hundreds of people showed up for the board meeting, demanding district leaders reconsider a proposal to close multiple schools to balance a $20 million deficit.

MORE: San Jose Berryessa Union School District votes to close 3 campuses

The majority of those in attendance were from Elsie Allen High School.

One speaker after the next made the argument that shutting down Elsie Allen disproportionately targets the Latino community. More than 90% of the students there are Latino.

"A lot of students have expressed that if our school shutdown they will drop out and that is failing the entirety of southwest Santa Rosa," student Isabella Rodriguez said.

"My students have shared their struggles and how Elsie Allen is their safe haven. I hope you see your violation by considering Elsie Allen as a school to close," one teacher said.

In the end, the board failed to vote on closing Elsie Allen or three middle schools. Instead, they put the decision on hold but didn't say when the discussion would continue.

The board did vote to close three elementary schools: Brook Hill and Albert Biella Elementary will close this June and Steele Lane Elementary will close next year.

VALLEJO

Vallejo is moving ahead with school closures and staff reductions.

Wednesday night, the board voted to close Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy and to move Vallejo Charter School to that campus.

Loma Vista Environmental Science Academy will also be shutting down.

MORE: Parents remain outraged as OUSD declines to take action on possible school closures

Before the vote, the board president acknowledged they faced a difficult decision but they had to do something, or else.

"We don't want to close schools, it's the last thing we want to do," VCUSD President John Fox said. "Because of the way in the United States and especially California, all districts because of declining enrollment are forced with this. And to stay solvent, which we're coming out of state receivership, unfortunately, it's a sad reality."

The board also approved slashing staffing by nearly $7.5 million dollars for the next school year.