Lodi parents outraged as district votes to shut Houston School
LODI — Dozens filled the Lodi Unified School District board room on Tuesday ready to fight for their school.
Some had harsh words for district officials as parents lined up in a last-ditch effort to keep them from voting to shut down Houston School in Acampo. The school has seen a dramatic drop in enrollment in recent years, putting it on the chopping block.
The board voted 7-0 to shut down Houston School in two years.
"Well, I've been going there since kindergarten. I've been going there my whole life. It's a good school," said 8th-grade student Algon Padilla.
"It's a legacy. This school is a legacy. I'm a property owner. I pay property taxes to make sure my kids go to school down the street," said parent Lisa Graci.
Graci went to Houston School and so did her children. She said shutting it down will lead to disaster, including safety and transportation problems getting kids to different schools in the area.
"I understand this is difficult," said Associate Superintendent Neil Young.
Young said larger school campuses can offer more support for students. Houston School has a near-500 student capacity but only has roughly 200 students enrolled.
"We know that is a concern of our families," Young said. "It really is more difficult at a smaller school site. This board has a fiscal responsibility as well as looking at what is best for students."
Houston School is hardly alone with schools across California battling declining enrollment. Young blames declining birth rates and the number of families living within the Houston School boundaries continuing to shrink.
Parents like Graci don't buy it, saying school officials aren't doing enough to boost enrollment and retain students.
"It's all about saving the dollar. It's every child comes first unless you can save a few bucks," said Graci.
It will be a two-year process to close Houston School with the first round of 7th and 8th graders switching to Lockeford and Millswood for the 2023-24 school year. Then, K-6th students will move to Victor the following school year.