A committee tasked with recommending which campuses in San Jose’s largest school district to close has hit the brakes on making a decision.
Poised to close up to nine schools due to declining enrollment, the San Jose Unified School District Schools of Tomorrow Committee on Tuesday postponed making a decision and adjusted criteria for how schools will be selected to shutter. It’s asking the school board for an extension to March 26, which will delay the board’s final approval of which schools to close that was set to happen March 12.
“I don’t believe there is a perfect answer to the challenges we are trying to solve, but parts of each option available felt out of balance when weighing the costs and benefits,” Renata Sanchez, president of the San Jose Teachers Association and Schools of Tomorrow Committee member, told San José Spotlight. “At the same time, the urgency for change that many members are expressing remains very real.”
There are 41 schools in the district, of which 26 are elementary schools. Enrollment has declined by more than 6,000 students since the 2017-18 school year, with 12 elementary schools having fewer than 350 students and the largest more than 800, according to the district. SJUSD has approximately 25,000 students, from transitional kindergarten through grade 12.
Other local school districts have closed campuses in recent years due to dropping enrollment. That includes three in the Franklin-McKinley School District in 2025, three in the Berryessa Union School District and six in the Alum Rock Union School District in 2024.
Tensions rose during the meeting, with parents voicing their frustration. Before the meeting, parent Priyam Singhal said the process seemed rushed and more deliberation was needed. Parent Sarah Robison said she felt like the process was just a formality.
“They want us to come, but honestly, they’re not listening to us,” Robison told San José Spotlight. “It feels like they’ve already made up their mind that they are going to close this many schools … and have our kids be collateral damage. They need to stop, look at what their process is, start over.”
Some committee members agreed. Sanchez suggested removing existing guidelines determining which schools to close and creating new ones.
The committee kept some guidelines intact — such as maximizing the projected percentage of English learners, foster youth, students from low-income families and students with disabilities at schools of the ideal size, and to keep at least either Rachel Carson, Reed or Terrell elementary schools open.
But it also swapped in new rules, such as only consolidating schools without a bilingual program with 300 or fewer enrolled students, excluding those in special day class programs, or schools with a bilingual program with fewer than four classes per grade level. The committee also added criteria to only consolidate schools with fewer than two classes per grade level, or schools with a bilingual program with fewer than four classes per grade level — with a maximum of four total consolidations.
“The status quo does not serve our students’ best interests,” Sanchez said. “At the same time, losing a neighborhood school is incredibly painful for everyone involved. I do believe there is a balance that can be found here, and I am hopeful the committee can reach it.”
The next Schools of Tomorrow Committee meeting is Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m. at the district office, located at 855 Lenzen Ave. in San Jose.
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].