South Bay Union: Central School Closure Approved – NBC 7 San Diego
Faced with community concerns, the South Bay Union School District (SBUSD) has delayed two proposed elementary school closures, but Central elementary is still slated to close in the 2026-2027 school year. This decision comes after the board amended a plan to close three schools due to declining enrollment, a move that sparked heated debate. The district will now gather community feedback before considering any further school closures, specifically targeting student access concerns regarding school closures. The initial proposal aimed to optimize facilities, but faced pushback from parents, teachers, and staff worried about the impact on families. Discover what’s next as SBUSD focuses on revising boundaries, transportation, and staffing—brought to you by News Directory 3.
south Bay School district Delays Elementary School Closures Amid Community Concerns
Faced with a contentious decision regarding the potential closure of three elementary schools, the South Bay Union School District (SBUSD) has voted to postpone two of those closures, at least temporarily. The decision addresses concerns about school closures and student access.
The SBUSD board members unanimously amended Superintendent Jose Espinoza’s plan, which initially proposed shuttering Berry, Central, and Sunnyslope elementary schools over the next six years. The district cited declining enrollment as a primary factor in the proposed school closures.
Under the revised plan, Central Elementary, which currently serves around 500 students, will close in the 2026-2027 school year. Before any further closures are considered, including those initially proposed for Berry and Sunnyslope, the district will conduct a comprehensive evaluation incorporating community feedback.
The initial proposal stemmed from recommendations by the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee (SAC), which focused on optimizing the district’s facilities with a “student-centric focus.” According to SBUSD, the district has experienced a notable enrollment decline of between 40% and 50% since 2011, nearly double the rate of neighboring districts. Contributing factors include rising housing costs, declining birth rates, the lingering effects of the pandemic, and an aging population.
Vanessa Barrera, a teacher within SBUSD and president of the Southwest Teacher Association, emphasized the potential impact on families. “We certainly know that most of the parents, the families in these communities, have multiple jobs in order to be able to afford to live in this community,” Barrera said, “and so not having access to their home school will have a huge impact.”
Vanessa Acuna, a teacher at Berry Elementary, echoed these concerns. “Any of the schools that’ve been on the list,” Acuna said, ”its just been heartbreaking. We want no schools to be closed.”
The packed meeting included impassioned pleas from parents, students, and staff.one parent urged the board,”Do not shut Berry down. Do not shut our elementary.”
Another parent, Rebecca Robinson, stated, ”This plan fractures our community, make no doubt, it creates a west side and an east side.”
mary Ehrhardt, a Central parent, suggested that the school’s underinvestment contributed to its vulnerability.”It’s become an easy target as when you don’t put the money into it to invest in it, well, it’s dilapidated.It costs too much,” Ehrhardt said.
Susan Caro, an administrative secretary, highlighted unanswered questions about staffing.”They talked about everything except where the staff is going to go. Where are they going to place us? We won’t have a job,” said Caro.
What’s next
The district plans to begin the consolidation process following the board’s decision. This will include revising school boundaries, establishing new transportation routes, addressing staffing considerations, and determining the future use of the closed facilities.