On Feb. 3, the San Jose Unified School District unanimously voted to eliminate the two schools. Willow Glen area trustee Pam Foley recused herself from the issue because she has a daughter at Hacienda, a magnet school in the district that members of the consolidation task force committee believed was an equal candidate for closure.

The district continued to pursue school closures again this year in the wake of declining enrollment, which has led to a decrease in state funding. In addition to the elementary school closures, the board voted in December to shut down Steinbeck Middle School at the end of the current 2004-05 year.

Although Randol will be shut down, students and staff from the school may be able to remain together. At the meeting, San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Don Iglesias said the district was considering relocating Allen and Randol elementary schools to the Steinbeck Middle School facility. The school was completely remodeled to include a wireless network last summer. The school also has other amenities, such as a swimming pool which makes the campus an attractive site for relocation.

He also said that the combined school may expand to a kindergarten- through eighth-grade program.

During the transition, Iglesias said, the district would do its best to be open and communicative with parents and staff of the affected schools.

"I give you my word and commitment that we will work with you around the issues and concerns you may have," he said.

But for Willow Glen Randol parents Darlene D'Amico-Sorci and Diane Seadler, one question still remains unanswered: Where their children's special education program will be relocated?

"The issue of the special-day classes program has been pushed under the rug," said Seadler, when she addressed the board at the meeting. "We are a part of the Randol community and we hope we can be a part of the move."

Answering Seadler's concern, San Jose Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Rosa Molina said the district would try to "ensure that children in special-day classes will be as close to home as possible."

Seadler, however, was not satisfied with Molina's response.

"As special-day class parents, we have the right to find the most appropriate program in the district for our children," she said. "For us, Randol had the best environment. My fight now is to keep my daughter with that program. I hope [neighborhood boundaries] don't come into play."

Although both mothers live outside the Blossom Valley neighborhood, they selected Randol for their children's special education needs. The school provides special-day classes for children through fifth-grade. For D'Amico-Sorci, whose daughter, Dominica, was previously in private school, Randol was the only school with openings for special-day classes. Seadler, on the other hand, chose the elementary school for her daughter, Megan, after observing special-day programs at other schools.

"[Randol] was ideal for my daughter," Seadler said. "The classes had a language and speech emphasis, which she needed, and the teachers had a strong language and speech background."

D'Amico-Sorci also had a positive experience with her daughter

"The teachers teach to the needs of each child," she said. "It's such a supportive school."

Both parents expressed disappointment that their children's school will close, but they remain optimistic that Randol's special-day program can thrive in another location if the students and teachers remain together. D'Amico and Seadling said they would approve of moving Randol and Allen into the Steinbeck campus, especially if the special education program was also relocated.

"I think the Steinbeck idea is great," D'Amico-Sorci said. "It has the least impact on the school, and has the possibility to be cutting-edge. But we want our children to stay with the program and teachers. Otherwise, you are sending the message that our children are different and not part of the school community."

Seadler agreed.

"Moving to Steinbeck would be good if we could all go," she said. "We don't want to be excluded ... But we don't have any definite answer. Starting August, where are we going? I hope we will be able to continue with a program that has been so successful."

The San Jose Unified School District will discuss the proposal to relocate Randol and Allen to Steinbeck at the Feb. 17 board meeting. The board will vote on the relocation on March 10.