Hacienda La Puente Unified Will Close Four Schools

Hacienda La Puente Unified trustees voted 3-2 Thursday to close four schools in response to declining enrollment. 

As part of the reconfiguration plan, the district will shutter Bixby Elementary School, Sunset Elementary School, Los Robles Academy and Del Valle Elementary School over the next few years. Some middle schoolers will also be relocated.

The decision has angered families, some of whom rallied at the meeting last week. Board President Christine Salazar was forced to call a recess at one point, while police declared an unlawful assembly.

District leaders say a plummeting student body has left them with little choice but to close the schools. Enrollment has declined by 12% over the past five years and is projected to drop another 25% by 2028.