Trustees are discussing school consolidation options

“It’s a lot of information and the board has a very important decision ahead of it,” Winders said.

During the session, Winders spoke in favor of merging Altimira and Adele Harrison high schools in Altimira, among other reasons because of their proximity to where most of the students live.

Trustee John Kelly said he believes consolidating the Adele Harrison schools is the best option for several reasons.

“Adele does not require the expensive geotechnical upgrades that Altimira would need,” he said. “By consolidating at Adele, which is a newer facility, we can centralize our educational services on Broadway, alongside Prestwood Elementary School and our high school.”

He said this would reduce the district’s impact, leading to greater management efficiency and cost savings.

“Additionally, the proximity of the middle schools to the high schools allows our Community Resource Officer, Ed Esponda (of the Sonoma Police Department), to more effectively address student discipline issues. Consolidation at Adele also provides an opportunity to keep sixth-graders in elementary schools, something I’ve heard many families express.

“Finally, this plan enables us to meet our remaining bond fund commitments without diverting resources from previously promised projects.”

Trustee David Bell – emphasizing that he was speaking only for himself and not the board at all – said he also supports consolidating the Adele Harrison schools.

“The Altimira campus is the second largest facility after the high school and can accommodate over 800 students,” he said after the study session. “It’s more than we need, and it also requires many millions of dollars in upgrades, both seismic and cosmetic. Adele, on the other hand, doesn’t need many, if any, upgrades.

Bell supports closing Sassarini or Prestwood if the elementary schools are to be consolidated.

Kelly said that in the event of an elementary school closure, he favors community-based consolidation in which educational services will continue to be offered at each facility through partnerships with Sonoma and Woodland Star Community Schools.

“We have seen success with this model in Dunbar, where the relocation of Woodland Star Charter School led to increased enrollment and further community engagement,” he said.

Kelly said Sonoma Charter School has expressed a desire to move to a location where district services could be discontinued, which would allow educational services to continue at that location.

“Specifically, in my opinion, Prestwood and Flowery Elementary Schools should not be disrupted, and the commission’s report clearly stated that closing El Verano Elementary School should not be considered,” he said. “This means that Sassarini Primary School is a school that I believe is being considered.”

With this approach, he said, the Sassarini center could remain an active educational facility through a partnership with Sonoma Charter School.

“This means that rather than completely closing the school, we would convert the campus to an alternative model that would continue to be used to provide educational services, thereby minimizing disruption to the community,” Kelly said.

Landry said she is not yet ready to recommend which schools should close.

The consolidation committee also explored the possibility of creating new classroom configurations, such as K-8 or K-6 schools.

Bell said the district should consider creating all K-6 elementary schools instead of the current K-5 and/or creating a dual-immersion K-8 school in a different location than the current one: Flowery Elementary School and Adele Harrison Middle School.

“We asked the district for its opinion on the specific issue of K-6 versus K-5,” Bell said. “I’m interested in knowing the pros and cons.”

Kelly said he thinks there is “potential” in adopting the K-6 model.

“Many parents commented that sixth-graders could benefit from remaining in elementary school for an additional year before moving on to middle school,” he said. “If this approach is consistent with family preferences and is feasible with our district’s resources, I support exploring a K-6 configuration.

“This could address some developmental and disciplinary issues, providing students with a smoother transition as they progress through their education.”

Kelly said he does not support establishing elementary and middle schools because the model is not consistent with the district’s current educational structure and research indicates it may not be the best fit.

He said the consolidation process was a challenge for everyone involved.

“But I believe this is an opportunity to improve our education programs, expand choices for families, protect resources and solidify a path for the future of our district,” Kelly said. “Our goal is to become a more unified district – not only administratively, but also as a cohesive community.”

Bell noted that the school district has approximately $11 million in capital improvement funds and encouraged the board to use the money wisely, focusing on both current and future needs.

“Hearing the public statement at the October 29 meeting, I’m afraid people don’t fully understand how dire our budget situation is, and unfortunately the only way we can even begin to address this problem is through school consolidation,” he said. he said.

Contact reporter Dan Johnson at [email protected].