Santa Rosa, CA — Parents and students in Santa Rosa are voicing their opposition to the proposed closure of Elsie Allen High School, expressing concern over the potential impact on students, families, and the community. The school, which serves a large portion of southwest Santa Rosa, has become a focal point in the ongoing debate over how the district should address its budget shortfalls.
Erica Contreras, a parent of an Elsie Allen student, spoke to KPIX about her worries. “School is harder as it is coming back from COVID, and now with this, I think it’s going to impact our kids dramatically,” she said. Contreras’s daughter attends Elsie Allen, and the prospect of the school closing has left her anxious about how it will affect both her family and the broader community. “It’s one of our only high schools in southwest Santa Rosa, so a lot of our kids are going to be impacted,” she added, noting that many families rely on the school’s proximity for convenient access, with some students even walking to campus.
On the day the Santa Rosa City Schools district was set to vote on the closure, parents like Contreras joined a crowd of concerned community members gathered at city hall to voice their opposition. “All the high schools have a really special spot in Sonoma County and in Santa Rosa. I think that they really should consider not closing any high schools at all,” said Dean Jansen, a student at Elsie Allen who spoke at the meeting.
Dulce Rodriguez, a junior at the high school, also attended the meeting in hopes of receiving answers from district officials. “I think it was their problem for misusing the money that was for our schools, and they haven’t owned up to it yet. They haven’t apologized or anything,” Rodriguez said. The student expressed frustration over what she sees as a failure on the district’s part to properly manage funds, which she believes has led to the current budget crisis.
The district has cited significant budget deficits as the reason behind the drastic measures. Superintendent Dr. Daisy Morales issued a statement acknowledging that difficult decisions were necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the district. The proposed closures are not limited to Elsie Allen; three elementary schools and three middle schools are also on the list of cost-cutting measures.
However, the decision has been met with criticism, particularly from the Latino community, which is heavily represented at Elsie Allen. With more than 90% of its student body identifying as Latino, critics argue that the closure would disproportionately impact the community, further exacerbating existing challenges.
Contreras, along with other parents, is uncertain about where her daughter would attend school if Elsie Allen were to close. “Just nervous. It’s just nerve-racking right now,” she said, reflecting the anxiety shared by many in the community.
As the district moves forward with its vote, the debate continues to unfold, with many questioning whether alternative solutions could be found to address the budget shortfall without sacrificing access to education for vulnerable students. The outcome of this vote will likely have far-reaching implications for both the students and families of Santa Rosa, as well as the future of the district’s educational landscape.