"Nobody is doing anything": Acampo school's future in limbo after significant drop in enrollment
ACAMPO — The future of an Acampo school is in limbo after a dramatic drop in enrollment.
The school at issue is Houston School, which has seen enrollment drop by 53 students since 2018 and is projected to go down another 28 students by next year.
A district board meeting held on the matter Tuesday was packed with concerned parents, many of whom were protesting outside the building, leading up to public comment.
Houston School's assistant superintendent presented three potential solutions to the Lodi Unified board that include closing the seventh- and eighth-grade classes and moving students to Millswood Middle School or Lockeford School next fall.
That plan would shift all students to Victor School by the fall of 2024.
The second option? Close Houston School completely by next fall and move all students to Lawrence Elementary, Millswood, Victor and Lockeford campuses.
The third option potential solution was to do nothing.
Things got heated at the meeting as parents voiced their concerns.
"You guys are worried about enrollment. Why are you not building us up? Nobody is doing anything to get enrollment. In fact, you're turning our children away!" one parent said.
Other parents shared their fears about safety, transportation issues and a mass exodus ahead of any planned transition.
No final decisions were made at Tuesday night's meeting. Although, the board did say doing nothing is not an option. They directed staff to get more input from parents and do more research.
The board will meet again on February 21.