Sonoma Valley Unified School District Votes to Close Flowery Elementary

News Summary

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board has voted to close Flowery Elementary School by the end of the 2025-26 academic year due to plummeting enrollment and financial challenges. Despite being the highest enrolled elementary school in the district, Flowery’s operational costs and facility needs have led to this contentious decision. Community leaders express concerns over the impact on vulnerable families and urge for further evaluation before closure. The district’s broader plan includes addressing a significant budget deficit and managing declining student numbers.

Sonoma, CA – The Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees took a significant step on Tuesday by voting 4-1 to close Flowery Elementary School at the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic year. This decision comes as the district grapples with declining enrollment figures and ongoing budgetary constraints that threaten its financial stability.

Flowery Elementary School, despite having the highest current enrollment of 363 students among the district’s elementary schools, faces substantial challenges due to its limited capacity of 440 students. The school requires considerable physical upgrades to meet educational standards. The decision to close Flowery marks the third school closure within the district as administrators strive to address severe budget shortfalls and dwindling enrollment rates.

The board’s resolution to close Flowery Elementary was passed with votes from board President Catarina Landry, David Bell, Anne Ching, and Jason Lehman, while Gerardo Guzman stood in opposition. The closure decision was met with significant backlash from the community, highlighting the school’s importance within the diverse Springs neighborhood. Critics of the closure, including representatives from local advocacy groups, raised concerns over the potential impact on vulnerable families who rely on the school for essential services.

In light of the opposition, community leaders have urged the board to postpone the closure until a thorough equity assessment can be completed. Concerns were also voiced by Guzman regarding the need for additional community input and the potential long-term implications of closing a school in a region that may be underserved.

The district initiated a school’s consolidation and closure plan in 2022 in response to these challenges. This led to the earlier closures of Dunbar Elementary School and Adele Harrison Middle School. Data reveals that the district’s K-12 enrollment has plummeted by 39.4% from 1999 to 2025, with the trend expected to persist in the coming years. Current enrollment figures indicate there are 1,254 K-5 students, while the total capacity of the remaining schools is 1,999, resulting in a current utilization rate of only 62.7%.

In a bid to manage these fiscal issues more effectively, the school board also approved the elimination of 40 classified employee positions and 14 certificated positions. This decision aims to save the district approximately $2.91 million. Overall, financial projections indicate a looming deficit of $2.98 million for the 2024-25 school year, suggesting a need for urgent fiscal remedial actions in the future.

As the closure of Flowery Elementary approaches, the district will work on a transition plan, including potential boundary adjustments and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The resolution mandates staff to explore options for relocating Flowery’s dual immersion program, with El Verano Elementary School and Sassarini Elementary School identified as possible new homes for this program. Following the closure of Flowery, the capacity among the remaining schools will increase to 1,559 K-5 students, potentially raising the district’s utilization rate to 80.4%. This move could be critical in stabilizing the district’s financial situation.

As the community grapples with these impending changes, the focus now shifts to finding viable solutions that address both the educational needs of students and the fiscal health of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.

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Additional Resources

• Press Democrat: Sonoma Valley Elementary School Closure
• Sonoma News: Flowery Elementary School Closure
• Sonoma Sun: Trustees Reevaluate School Closures
• Sonoma County Gazette: Bilingual School Closure Vote
• Sonoma News: Overview of Sonoma School Closures
• Wikipedia: School Closure
• Google Search: Sonoma Valley School Closure
• Google Scholar: Sonoma Valley School Closure
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Sonoma Valley
• Google News: Sonoma Valley School Closure