Some parents have asked, “If you have to close one school between Miller and Kennedy, which one would you close?” I conducted a survey for the CUSD School Closure Retrospective and the results are clear: we don’t need to close any schools in CUSD.
Although we have seen a recent drop in enrollments, our school sizes are still larger than those in neighboring districts. Several key points emerged from the survey:
- Funding Model: CUSD’s funding model has shifted to Basic Aid from LCFF, thanks to the increase in property taxes. This means our revenue is no longer tied to the number of enrolled students. We need to reconsider the criteria for school closures.
- Valuing Schools: Schools are the most important assets for the district. School closures must be an absolute last resort. If there is financial pressure, we should consider other options first.
- Decision-Making: School closure is a critical decision that would impact our district. We should require a supermajority (4:1 or more) to close any school instead of a simple majority.
- Transparency: The standards for school closures should be transparent. Schools should know in advance if they might be closed based on specific criteria. They should also design excellent programs to attract more students through open enrollment.
By addressing these points, we can turn the potential crisis of school closures into an opportunity to improve education quality.