San Jose Unified School District board approves closing several elementary schools

By Loureen Ayyoub

The San Jose Unified School District Board has approved a plan to close five elementary schools and consolidate another school, citing declining enrollment.

On Thursday night, the board voted to close Lowell, Empire Gardens, Terrell, Gardner and Canoas elementary schools. An additional school, Hammer Montessori, will be moved to a new campus.

The district said the closures are necessary to combat a 20% decline in enrollment since 2018, related to decreasing birth rates and increasing costs of living.

For families and students figuring out what to do next, the board’s decision was difficult to take. Gabriela Salgado, whose son attends Canoas Elementary, told CBS News Bay Area that the teachers have helped her son who has autism.

“It’s all because of them. He knows his alphabet and it’s something we would have never expected because he’s nonverbal,” Salgado said. “But he’s able to say his letters, his numbers, his colors.”

Salgado’s son will now have to move to a new school next year, as he begins the 4th grade.

“I just think that students in any special needs program already have it difficult, so having them change schools, it just brings regression,” she added.

Even before Thursday’s meeting started, some parents tried to stop the plan. They filed a complaint, accusing the district of violating state and federal anti-discrimination laws, arguing that closing the campuses would hit minority and low-income students the hardest.

“They’re going to continue to face community…frankly, rage. The community is going to continue to push back and fight this,” said David Friedlander, a parent at Hammer Montessori.

Travis Curran, a parent at Reed Elementary, said, “These are elected officials we put into office. We are ready to vote them out of office, if we need to.”

Parents who spoke to CBS News Bay Area said they are willing to take this complaint to the state Board of Education if needed.