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Faced with financial problems and declining enrollment, the San Jose Unified School District has begun evaluating the option of closing and consolidating schools for the 200405 school year.
At its Oct. 2 meeting, the district board of education unanimously approved criteria that will be used by a newly formed ad hoc committee to determine which schools may be targeted.
The 20-member committee, which includes parents, principals, teachers and district staff, is scheduled to meet throughout the fall and hold two public input hearings in January before submitting its recommendations to the superintendent. The board of education is expected to review the superintendent's recommendation in early February.
The committee will consider, among other criteria, diversity and transportation issues related to closing schools and whether neighboring schools could accommodate an increased number of students.
School closings could bring much-needed revenue to the district. After making $16 million in cuts this school year, district officials say they need to slash another $10 million next year and $17 million in 200506. Closing just one school could save the district between $400,000 and $600,000 a year, according to Bob Gonzales, San Jose Unified School District director of student assignment and demographics.
The decision to consolidate schools comes at a time when the district has seen a 1-percent-per-year decline in enrollment over the last four years, a slump Gonzales attributed to the economy. What's happening in the district "reflects the financial picture of the county overall," he said.
Consolidating schools would allow the district to maximize the use of school facilities that remain open. Gonzales said that only elementary schools would be affected in the initial round of closings.
While the potential closings have raised concerns among parents and school staff, district officials said that the district has not predetermined which facilities would be targeted or even that any schools will be closed.
"There's a lot of anxiety around school consolidation," acknowledged Deputy Superintendent Don Iglesias at the board of education's Sept. 18 meeting. "But we're not going down a list, saying, 'These are the schools that are going to be closed.' " With the committee scheduled to review various scenarios over several months and take public input into consideration, Iglesias said, "We feel that we have a solid process."
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