The San Jose Unified School District’s board of education has approved a plan to close five elementary schools, a move that follows years of declining student enrolment. The decision, which was made during a contentious Thursday board meeting, will see the schools shuttered by the end of the 2025-26 school year.
The schools slated for closure are Canoas, Empire Gardens, Gardner, Lowell, and Terrell elementary schools. Additionally, the Hammer Montessori program currently at Galarza Elementary will be relocated to the Gardner campus. The vote was a narrow 3-2 decision, with board Vice President Brian Wheatley and trustee Nicole Gribstad dissenting. The verdict was met with emotional outbursts from hundreds of parents in attendance, with many chanting "shame on you" at the board members.
The district has been grappling with a significant demographic shift, reporting a 20 per cent drop in enrolment, which equates to about 6,000 fewer students, since the 2017-18 school year. Officials attribute this exodus to two primary factors: a decline in local birthrates and the persistently high cost of living in the Bay Area, which is compelling many families to seek more affordable communities elsewhere.
This trend is not projected to reverse. San Jose USD anticipates its enrolment will continue to fall by another 13 per cent between the 2025-26 and 2032-33 school years, shrinking from a projected 24,081 students to just 21,186. The impact has been felt most acutely at the primary level, where the number of elementary schools with fewer than 350 students has doubled from six to 12 since 2017.
The Schools of Tomorrow initiative
The path to this decision began in September with the formation of the "Schools of Tomorrow" initiative. This committee, comprising parents, teachers, principals, and union representatives, was tasked with defining the characteristics of an "ideal elementary school" for the district's future. The group was initially considering up to nine school closures before making its final recommendation of five.
The committee’s work was framed as a way to consolidate resources, ensuring that the remaining schools could be better supported. In a statement, the district said the process would help "focus our facilities investments and ensure we are getting the most out of Measure R for our students, staff, and community.” This sentiment was not universally shared, however. During the board meeting, Vice President Brian Wheatley argued against the financial necessity of the closures.
Despite such objections, the board majority pushed forward with the consolidation plan, emphasizing a long-term vision for a smaller, more efficient, and better-resourced district.
Measure R funds and future plans
Financially, the district has clarified that the goal of the closures is not primarily to save money. Officials have stated that no employee at an impacted school will lose their job or see a reduction in pay. However, the district does project an annual savings of $1,475,000 in facility operation and maintenance costs from the shuttered campuses.
These savings, and the consolidation itself, are closely tied to Measure R, a $1.15 billion bond referendum approved by voters in November 2024. The measure introduced a new tax of $60 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value. The funds are designated for substantial upgrades across the district, including enhancing campus safety systems, modernizing classroom technology, repairing aging infrastructure, and improving labs for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and career and technical education (CTE) programs. A portion of the funds is also earmarked for developing affordable housing for teachers and staff, addressing the high cost of living that contributes to the enrolment decline.
By reducing the number of school sites, the district aims to deploy these Measure R funds more effectively, concentrating investment on the receiving schools and bringing them up to a higher standard. This strategy reflects a broader trend seen across North America, where districts face difficult choices about infrastructure, as seen in a recent case in New Zealand where a woman was sentenced for an online attack on a midwife.
Supporting affected families and schools
The district has outlined a transition plan to support students and families affected by the closures. Students from the closed schools will be offered free afterschool extracurricular activities at their new campuses. The elementary schools that will be absorbing the new students are set to receive increased funding to facilitate integration and support positive school culture initiatives. These receiving schools will also be given priority for facility upgrades using the Measure R funds.
The challenges faced by San Jose are not unique. According to the California Department of Education, districts across the state are contending with similar enrolment declines. High living costs and changing demographics have forced school boards from San Diego to Sacramento to make similar, often painful, decisions. The trend is also national, with districts in states like Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Texas recently announcing closures tied to shrinking student populations.
As San Jose USD moves forward, the focus will be on managing the complex consolidation process and fulfilling its promise to reinvest in the remaining schools. The district maintains that by making these difficult choices now, it can create a more stable and robust educational environment for the coming decades.
