More San Diego County school campuses on the chopping block? (2024)

South Bay Union officials have been discussing for months how to consolidate their schools in response to massive enrollment declines. Now, the latest proposal from the district’s top administrator calls for closing more campuses than previously thought.

Three schools could be on the chopping block if board members accept the option that Superintendent Jose Espinoza presented earlier this week: Close two elementary campuses, and convert a third into another campus for one of the district’s existing charter schools.

Previously disclosed options had suggested either swapping campuses or closing just one school — Central Elementary in Imperial Beach.

Under Espinoza’s latest proposal, both Central and Sunnyslope elementaries would shut down. It would also restructure the grades served at nearly all of their campuses and create specialized focuses at each school, such as environmental science, dual language and visual and performing arts.

“We have an opportunity to do something that’s out of the box that’s going to help us meet the needs of our students,” Espinoza told board members.

Board members have directed staff and an advisory committee that has been privately meeting for months to further study Espinoza’s proposal.

School districts across the region are grappling with declining student enrollment and money troubles. But the decline at South Bay Union is particularly steep. The district expects to lose roughly half of the students it had more than a decade ago. Officials have pointed to rising housing costs, declining birth rates and an increased interest in alternative education, such as charter schools and homeschooling, as reasons for its drop in enrollment.

The district also has projected a $5.3 million budget shortfall of next year and $7.1 million for the 2025-26 school year. That doesn’t include any costs associated with the school consolidation options — all require a major financial investment to update the facilities ranging from $9 million to as much as $50 million per site, according to district records.

But while others have been “reactive” to their student enrollment trend and budget shortfalls, forcing some to close schools under financial pressure, South Bay Union has been proactive about its situation, said district consultant Michael Taylor.

The district hired consultants Florida-based MGT Consulting to assist with its consolidation talks. Records show it has paid more than $318,000 since September 2022.

Espinoza said officials still have time to study the options before making a decision, and any campus closures aren’t expected to go into effect until the 2025-26 school year.

“We have created some time before we actually have to do something. Our district is not in financial stress right now, but if we continue going the way we are, we will be in financial stress soon,” he said.

Still, the discussions have frustrated community members. The district has chosen not to make the advisory committee meetings public, and during recent town halls, officials solicited written input from attendees instead of providing a public comment forum.

Other questions — including what would happen to the closed campuses or how school transportation would be offered — have yet to be answered.

“We fully understand the anxiety associated with school consolidations,” board President Cheryl Quinones said during Monday’s meeting. “We will continue to be collaborative and transparent as we search for viable options and solutions.”

New option on the table

South Bay Union has 12 campuses, including two charter schools: three east of Interstate 5, four in the central part of the district and five in Imperial Beach.

In addition to shutting down Sunnyslope and Central, Espinoza’s proposal would also close Berry Elementary as a neighborhood school and turn it into a campus part of the Nestor Language Academy.

Pence Elementary, which serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade in the eastern part of the district, would offer a dual language program and be restructured to serve kids in transitional kindergarten through third grade. Nicoloff Elementary, south of Pence, would continue to offer a dual language program but only serve fourth through sixth grade students.

Located in the central part of the district, Emory Academy of Global Leadership and Empowerment would serve transitional kindergarten through third grade. Mendoza Elementary, north of Emory, would serve fourth through sixth grade. Both would offer a visual and performing arts program.

Nestor Language Academy’s current campus on Hollister Street would remain open, but only to students in fourth through eighth grade. The charter school would use Berry Elementary to serve transitional kindergarten through third grade. Dual language programs would be offered at both sites.

In the northwest, Bayside STEAM Academy would serve students in transitional kindergarten through third grade. Oneonta Elementary would be transformed into a STEAM academy — focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — and serve fourth through sixth grade.

Imperial Beach Charter would continue to serve students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, but undergo a name change: Imperial Beach Environmental Science Charter. All schools in Imperial Beach would focus on a strand of environmental science, an issue relevant to the area and which students would greatly benefit from learning, Espinoza said.

All schools would offer open enrollment to students within district boundaries, he said, adding that teachers may be able to choose what school they could work at based on their interests.

The idea garnered support from a few community members, but some expressed concern over the impact campus closures could have on students.

“Try explaining to your children that their school may possibly be shut down and they will have to be divided amongst the rest of the schools in the area. What kind of impact would that have on their emotional well being?” Melissa Romo, a fourth grade teacher at Mendoza Elementary, said during public comment.

Espinoza said officials would still need to conduct a feasibility study to determine if the idea is possible.

Board members are expected to make their final decision sometime between June and August. Some have discussed holding an additional town hall to gather feedback on the latest proposal.