![\"Gompers](\"https:\/\/www.presstelegram.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/LPT-L-LBUSD-CLOSURES-1023-01.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\nLong Beach Unified School District will close two elementary schools at the end of the 2026-27 school year.<\/p>\n
The Board of Education voted to close Gompers Elementary School in Lakewood and Edison Elementary School in downtown Long Beach on Wednesday, Oct. 21, a hotly debated decision that sparked opposition from parents, students and teachers.<\/p>\n
These elementary schools were recommended to be closed based on enrollment, school capacity and the need for LBUSD to be fiscally responsible as it navigates cuts to federal funding and an ongoing budget deficit, district staffers said.<\/p>\n
During the Wednesday evening meeting, Gompers and Edison parents, students and teachers held up signs, reading: \u201cSave Gompers,\u201d \u201cHey LBUSD, Vote No\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t close our home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are moments in leadership when the decisions before us are difficult, and tonight is one of those moments,\u201d Superintendent David Zaid said during the meeting. \u201cI want to thank all of our families who are here for their signatures, their emails, their requests for the capacity study and the questions that they have raised in conversations. All of that shows that our schools matter deeply to the people that they serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
District officials announced the potential closure of Gompers and Edison earlier this month. While multiple parents and teachers said they felt it was a quick process for the decision of a school closure, district staffers said they have been looking at for this for the past couple of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want our community to understand that this recommendation is not sudden, it is not arbitrary and it is not a result of the process that began under my superintendency,\u201d Zaid said. \u201cFor three years, our district has examined enrollment, capacity, facility utilization, neighboring schools and student needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur recommendation reflects consideration of multiple factors, not simply the number of students attending a school,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd before arriving at the recommendation, we invested in schools to sustain educational opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like school districts throughout the state, LBUSD continues experiencing significant declines in student enrollment, in large part because of increased costs of living and lower birth rates, district staffers said.<\/p>\n
Enrollment at LBUSD has declined from nearly 98,000 students in 2004 to about 59,800 students today, and state projections suggest further decline, Zaid said. That is why the district is considering school consolidations and closures to remain fiscally responsible and maintain equitable programs for students.<\/p>\n
The district is also facing a projected operating deficit of $45 million this year, and without further corrective action, the annual deficit is projected to reach $96 million by 2030, Zaid said. For this 2026-27 academic year, the district\u2019s operating budget is around $1.26 billion.<\/p>\n
LBUSD has been trying to address the deficit by reducing administrative costs by $1.7 million and making $30 million in cuts, Zaid added. District staffers\u2019 and board members\u2019 fiscal responsibility is what brought them to the difficult decision to close Gompers and Edison \u2013 which would provide the district with net annual savings of about $2.8 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cResponsible stewardship of district resources requires us to look at the big picture: how do we provide the best educational experience for our students with limited funds?\u201d board President Diana Craighead said during the meeting. \u201cWe know that school closures will not solve the budget crisis, but not taking this difficult action means our resources will be spread thin across the district, and we may experience program losses and even workforce reduction.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Gompers and Edison Elementary School parents spoke during the Long Beach Unified School District\u2019s Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, asking for district officials to not close their schools. Board members voted 4-1 to approve closing the two elementary schools. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n
![\"Gompers](\"https:\/\/www.presstelegram.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/LPT-L-LBUSD-CLOSURES-1023-02.jpg?w=620\")
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Gompers and Edison Elementary School parents, students and teachers spoke during the Long Beach Unified School District\u2019s Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, asking for district officials to not close their schools. Board members voted 4-1 to approve closing the two elementary schools. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n
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Gompers and Edison Elementary School parents spoke during the Long Beach Unified School District\u2019s Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, asking for district officials to not close their schools. Board members voted 4-1 to approve closing the two elementary schools. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n