Redwood City District Mulls School Closures
The Redwood City School District is preparing to close and/or merge several schools as part of a cost-cutting plan meant to blunt a projected deficit of $10 million over the next three years.
On Wednesday, parents, teachers, and school administrators gathered at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City to discuss the plans. School district spokesman Jose Quintana outlined the following proposals:
• Closure of Orion Elementary School and subsequent merger with John Gill Elementary School
• Closure of Adelante Spanish Immersion School and subsequent merger with Selby Lane Elementary School
• Closure of Fair Oaks Elementary School
• Closure of Hawes Elementary School and subsequent dispersal of students to Roosevelt School and two others
• Temporary closure (two years) of Taft Elementary School
A number of parents voiced frustration, saying these proposals could make the situation worse and drive an increasing number of students into charter schools. But Quintana said the status quo is unsustainable.
"The school district in the last six years has lost 2,000 students to three charter schools that operate within the school district as well as families who are moving outside of the Bay Area bc of the high cost of living," Quintana told KGO-TV.
Quintana added that “the school district can not sustain 16 schools with 7,500 students, especially those schools with an enrollment of 400 or less students."
Read more about the district’s financial difficulties here.
