Overview
- Highland, Lincoln and Pennycook elementary schools will shut at the end of the 2025-26 school year, affecting at least a thousand students and more than 100 staff members.
- The board approved $32 million in reductions, including $22 million in staffing cuts slated for the end of 2025-26, and moved to eliminate more than 200 positions for the next school year.
- Superintendent Rubén Fernández said the steps are necessary to keep the district afloat as enrollment has fallen from over 20,000 students to under 10,000.
- Officials reported a projected budget deficit of about $26 million as attendance and enrollment declined.
- The district pledged transition support with new school options, enrollment assistance and personalized outreach, while union leaders aim to place displaced teachers at other campuses.