The Alum Rock Union School District has to close seven schools to help balance its budget, according to Superintendent German Cerda. Flavio Lacayo reports.
The Alum Rock Union School District has to close seven schools to help balance its budget, according to Superintendent German Cerda.
District trustees will be presented at a Nov. 14 Board of Education meeting a recommendation from Cerda to close seven schools, consolidate two, and redesign another campus. The superintendent is urging the school community to sound off about the proposal during the public session.
"We've been assigned an actual auditor from the state and the county office of education and you can reprogram, you can cut as many district positions as possible, and you are not going to get nowhere near the $20 million deficit that we are in -- and it’s $20 million per year," Cerda said.
Parents said it is a devastating recommendation. Some have taken their opposition to the streets by holding rallies and demonstrations to pressure the district to find another solution.
District officials said the problem is a shrinking student population. In 2015, there were more than 10,000 students in the district. This year, there are about 7,200 students in the district.
"The board is the one that's going to make the final decision, but I want to make sure that I’m providing the board with all the information they need so that when they do take action, they take an informed decision," Cerda said.
Trustees are expected to make a final decision on the closures the first week of December.
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