\u201cSanta Clara County Office of Education remains fully committed to sustaining the Walden West Outdoor School for students across Santa Clara County,\u201d reads a Tuesday statement from Toston\u2019s office<\/a>. \u201cFor the 2026-27 school year, (the office of education) also intends to increase Walden West General Fund support, exceeding $1 million, to facilitate this alternative option.\u201d<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Toston\u2019s office<\/a> told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight the number of anticipated employee layoffs hasn\u2019t changed, as the relocation hasn\u2019t been finalized.<\/p>\n That concerns Susan Salop, a Sunnyvale Education Foundation board member whose son has attended past Walden West programs. She said while the relocation announcement shows things are moving in the right direction, there has been no information about the fate of employees.<\/p>\n \u201cCommunity members and Walden West staff would like to see a definitive plan in place as soon as possible to ensure students can participate in Walden West programs next school year,\u201d Salop told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n Walden West<\/a> is a 75-year camp in the Saratoga Hills off Big Basin Way, where the region\u2019s students often steal their first glimpses of woodland fauna, spend their first night away from home and slip through moss-covered redwoods and Douglas firs on winding hikes. The program serves approximately 6,000 children a year countywide through its renowned summer science camp and outdoor school programs.<\/p>\n Education officials have had years to prepare for the much-needed renovations on the 35-acre site, as planning began in 2020 and faced delays from the pandemic and an extended permitting process.<\/p>\n Yet parents were blindsided last month upon hearing initial plans for a full closure for as long as two years, which was announced<\/a> around the same time the office of education obtained permit approvals for the project. The announcement also alarmed community members for stating the office of education wouldn\u2019t have the resources to backfill Walden West\u2019s lost revenue if the camp can\u2019t operate during renovations.<\/p>\n Officials did not respond when asked about Walden West\u2019s yearly revenue, which comes from summer programs and facility rentals. The school\u2019s fundraising nonprofit reported $61,487 in net income to the IRS last year.<\/p>\n Parents and teachers have lambasted Toston\u2019s office for not alerting them sooner or coming up with a proactive plan to adjust camp sessions around construction.<\/p>\n \u201cMany schools have already reserved their spots at Walden West for the next school year,\u201d Cortney Jansen, a Sunnyvale Education Foundation board member and parent, told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight before Tuesday\u2019s relocation announcement. \u201cThere was little communication to the schools. Why was there no plan to do the renovations in stages, so it wouldn\u2019t get to the point of total closure for two years? Once construction is done, is the county actually going to reopen Walden West if all the staff is gone? This will affect thousands of kids.\u201d<\/p>\n There are also doubts about the office of education\u2019s long-term commitment to the outdoor camp.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a big experience that a lot of students who don\u2019t have the resources to go camping look forward to. This is like the biggest thing in their lives,\u201d Salop said. \u201cThe school districts were not notified until the last minute. This all could have been managed a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n Walden West employees who spoke to San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight said the facility has financially struggled in recent years, especially after the COVID pandemic. Workers also noticed a mood shift at the office of education in late 2025 after the Board of Education fired former Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan<\/a>, who they said was one of the camp\u2019s premiere champions. Now the office of education is in the throes of mass layoffs<\/a> that have separately rocked the special education system under Dewan\u2019s successors, who say the cuts are necessary to address a budget crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had to ask our management if there is a true want to continue the program after construction happens,\u201d Moriah Wright, a health and safety leader at Walden West, told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve received is a \u2018yes\u2019 but \u2026 it\u2019s very noncommittal. They haven\u2019t given us solid guarantees that Walden West will actually return in its original form.\u201d<\/p>\n Penelope Kirby, 24, has been part of Walden West since she first camped there at age 12. She returned frequently for later programs as she got older. Eventually she became a volunteer and then a permanent employee where she and fellow educators \u2014 who refer to each other during programs by animal names such as \u201cBadger\u201d and \u201cOwl\u201d \u2014 would sing songs about banana slugs to kids by the campfire and teach them hands-on environmental science lessons and nature skills.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sentiment we\u2019ve gotten from (the office of education) has very much been, \u2018We as the county aren\u2019t going to come up with a solution even though we\u2019ve known about this for 10 years,’\u201d Kirby told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight before Tuesday\u2019s relocation announcement.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-03-30-at-10.42.16-AM-1024x573.png\")
Walden West in Saratoga gives Silicon Valley students a chance to connect with nature. Photo courtesy of the Santa Clara County Office of Education YouTube channel.<\/p>\n
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