Vallejo School District Considers Closure of Lincoln Elementary

News Summary

The Vallejo City Unified School District’s 7-11 Committee has recommended closing Lincoln Elementary due to declining student enrollment and financial issues. The committee identified Lincoln as the top candidate among several schools for closure. Public feedback shows strong community support for keeping Lincoln open, emphasizing its role in serving low-income families. Discussions will continue with a decision expected in December as the district faces significant enrollment drops over the years.

Vallejo – The Vallejo City Unified School District’s 7-11 Committee has put forth a recommendation to close Lincoln Elementary as part of a strategy to address declining student enrollment and financial challenges. The committee, which convened for its third meeting earlier this week, identified Lincoln as the top candidate for closure among eight schools suggested for consolidation or shutdown due to declining enrollment figures.

Other schools on the closure list include Steffan Manor, Pennycook, Federal Terrace Elementary, John Finney Education Complex, Cooper Elementary, and Highland Elementary. The committee’s recommendations will be discussed in a meeting set for August 11, where community participation, particularly from Lincoln Elementary, is being encouraged. This final decision will be made by the district’s board in December.

The committee’s public hearing featured discussions with approximately 20 community members, including Principal Sue Kelly and Expanded Learning Coordinator Diane Flowers, who advocated for Lincoln Elementary’s continued operation. They emphasized the school’s unique demographic serving a low-income area and the pivotal role it plays in providing support and education to its students.

Lincoln Elementary is projected to have an enrollment of just 96 students in the upcoming school year, making it the smallest school being considered for closure. Flowers voiced concerns that closing Lincoln would adversely affect student attendance and deprive children of a vital educational environment. Meanwhile, Kelly highlighted the school’s successful literacy program that has significantly improved student performance, warning that a closure could jeopardize such achievements.

The 7-11 Committee proposed that if Lincoln Elementary is closed, the literacy program should be retained and relocated. Another part of the recommendation includes potentially moving programs from John Finney and consolidating students from Steffan Manor into Pennycook. Moreover, the committee designated Federal Terrace, John Finney, Cooper, and Highland as “surplus” facilities, possibly enabling the district to lease, sell, or repurpose these properties in the future.

Community feedback during public comments showed significant support for keeping Cooper and Federal Terrace open, leading some committee members to reconsider their rankings for potential closures. The decisions come at a time when Vallejo City Unified School District has experienced a dramatic reduction in student enrollment, declining from around 18,000 students in 2004 to approximately 9,656 last year. This consistent drop in enrollment has prompted district officials to explore school closures as a means of ensuring financial viability.

District Superintendent Rubén Aurelio stated that the closure of Lincoln, Pennycook, and Cooper schools is under consideration due to their declining enrollments and the potential for annual savings of $300,000, $600,000, and $450,000, respectively. However, the superintendent clarified that any decision to close or consolidate schools is intended not only to address financial situations but also to improve overall services and encourage increased student enrollment in the district.

As discussions continue surrounding the future of local schools, stakeholders are reminded of the importance of participating in the ongoing dialogues regarding these significant changes and their potential impact on the community.

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Additional Resources

• Times Herald Online: Lincoln Elementary Closure
• Vallejo Sun: School Closures
• Kron4: Vallejo School Closures
• Vallejo Sun: School Closure Plans
• Times Herald Online: End of School Era
• Wikipedia: California
• Google Search: Vallejo education system
• Google Scholar: Vallejo school closures
• Encyclopedia Britannica: High School
• Google News: Vallejo school district