ANOTHER SAN JOSE school district is closing schools due to declining enrollment and a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
After intense debate and a two-week postponement, the Franklin-McKinley School District board of trustees voted 3-2 at its Feb. 25 meeting to close three elementary schools. Board President George Sanchez, Vice President Steven Sanchez and Trustee Hong Ha Hoang supported the closures, while Trustees Rudy Rodriguez and Marc Cooper voted against it.
Los Arboles Literacy & Technology Academy, Ramblewood Elementary and McKinley Elementary will close by next school year, following recommendations from a consolidation advisory committee. The board also voted to have Lairon College Preparatory Academy and George Shirakawa Sr. Elementary School serve grades K-6. Lairon currently serves grades 4-8 and Shirakawa Elementary serves K-8.
Steven Sanchez acknowledged the hardship of closing schools, but said it’s the board’s responsibility to ensure Franklin-McKinley is financially solvent. The struggling school district faces declining enrollment and an almost $23 million budget shortfall.
“Even though this is a difficult decision, it’s one that had to be made,” he said at the meeting.
Michael Fine, chief executive officer of California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, said if the district didn’t act it would run out of cash by next February and end up under state control for close to 20 years.
“This is your fiduciary duty. If you allow this district to get to a position of not being able to meet its financial obligations, that is on all of you,” Fine told trustees during public comment. “Closing a school is the most difficult decision you will ever make as a board member. Don’t leave it to an outsider.”
Following trend of enrollment declines
District enrollment has decreased since the 2011-12 school year from 9,673 students to 5,766, according to school officials. Declining enrollment is a statewide issue, and other local districts are closing schools, including the Berryessa Union School District and Alum Rock Union School District.
On Feb. 11, the board delayed voting to close schools after receiving a letter from state Sen. Dave Cortese saying a revised state budget could include $1.8 billion for local school districts. But George Sanchez said when board members spoke with Cortese Tuesday, he couldn’t commit to the district receiving funding in time to avoid closing the schools — as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget revision will be released in May.
“This is your fiduciary duty. If you allow this district to get to a position of not being able to meet its financial obligations, that is on all of you. … Don’t leave it to an outsider.” Michael Fine, California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team
“There may or may not be future funding, we can’t depend on that at this time,” George Sanchez told San José Spotlight. “I’m hoping we get more funding. If we got enough funding, we may keep a school or two, bring them back in the fold.”
Parent Joanna Ramirez expressed concern on the long-term impact closing schools will have on students.
“We feel devastated,” Ramirez told San José Spotlight. “What is this going to do to the community we have built at our schools where our kids have built connections? It’s just very hard.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.
This story originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight.