Declining enrollments are my strength Sonoma school closures – a Press Democrat editorial

As soon as Thursday the The Sonoma Valley Unified School District board could vote on a consolidation plan that could result in one or more school closures. That is a difficult discussion and a difficult decision, but it may be necessary given declining enrollment and fiscal realities. As families, alumni and teachers face the possible closure of a beloved school, they should try to remember that school board members don’t like this any more than they do.

Last month, from the district The school consolidation committee has submitted a report highlighting the challenges. Enrollment in district schools has fallen by more than a quarter since 2015, including by an alarming 42% at Altimira Middle School. That’s part of a longer trend of fewer students in the district that goes back at least two decades.

The result is underutilized facilities. The total number of students in the district is 3,018 students, but the schools in the district have capacity for almost twice as many students. That’s a lot of wasted space that the district is spending money on maintaining.

The situation is also not expected to improve. The district estimates it will lose another 600 students by 2031.

Responsible budget management requires exploring all options and considering the number of schools the district needs at each level. We don’t envy school board members who find themselves in that position, because families, alumni, and teachers of affected schools almost always turn their backs under these circumstances.

School board members got an idea of ​​the coming heat a few years ago. They will after the 2022-2023 school year closed Dunbar Elementary School in Glen Ellen. Most students moved to El Verano elementary school. Parents and teachers were dissatisfied, partly because administrators made the decision late in the school year, leaving little time to prepare students for the change.

This time, the board is addressing the question earlier, allowing more time for their decision to sink in and preparations to be made. To their credit, the board members actively sought public input. The consolidation committee met in January, so this should not be a surprise to anyone. The school board has also encouraged the public to submit comments and show up at their meeting next Thursday to voice their opinions.

What everyone should hope to avoid is the deeply divisive and disruptive response that occurred when the West County Union High School District decided to El Molino High School in Forestville will close in 2021. Critics filed recall papers against three school board members who supported the closure. That attempt failed, but damaged relations between the board and the public. One of the three resigned from the board and another, a long-time member, chose not to stand for re-election.

The reverberation persists to this day. On October 30, the California Commission on Judicial Performance issued a decision sanctioning a local Supreme Court judge for improper political conduct due to his public opposition to renaming the district’s remaining high school after the merger.

Closing a school is never easy, but sometimes it is necessary. It is up to all involved to recognize that fact so that Sonoma Valley schools can move forward without lingering acrimony and acrimony when the board has to make that painful choice.

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