Santa Rosa parents frustrated with proposed school closures
Santa Rosa parents and students are making their voices heard, many of them angry over the proposed closure of Elsie Allen High School, calling on the district to find a different way to balance its budget.
"School is harder as it is coming back from COVID, and now with this, I think it's going to impact our kids dramatically," said Erica Contreras, a parent.
Contreras's daughter goes to Elsie Allen High.
On the day the district is set to officially vote on whether or not to shut down the school, Contreras was where she is most school days, in the high school's parking lot waiting to pick her daughter up.
She told KPIX she's worried if the school is shut down it'll just make it that much harder for parents trying to get their kids to and from school.
"It's one of our only high schools in southwest Santa Rosa, so a lot of our kids are going to be impacted. You know a lot of kids get to walk here, and parents go to work early so now they don't have reliable transportation," said Contreras.
Countless parents and students arrived at city hall Wednesday night to be at the district meeting in person.
Dean Jansen, a student, said he was there to argue against closing any of the high schools.
"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 Jansen.
Dulce Rodriguez, a junior at Elsie, said she was there to try and get answers directly from district officials.
"I think it was their problem for like misusing the money that was for our schools, and they haven't owned up to it yet. They haven't apologized or anything and I just want them to take responsibility," said Rodriguez.
The district said deep cuts are necessary to help balance its budget.
And it's not just Elsie Allen on the chopping block, three elementary schools and three middle schools are also a part of this cost-cutting plan.
In a statement, Superintendent Dr. Daisy Morales said officials must make difficult choices to ensure the sustainability of the district, going on to say they are exploring all possible options to minimize the impact on students and families.
Contreras said she doesn't know exactly where her daughter will go to school if Elsie is shut down. She said the whole plan has everyone on edge.
"Just nervous. It's just nerve-racking right now," said Contreras.
Some critics also argue the decision disproportionately targets Santa Rosa's Latino community. More than 90% of Elsie Allen's students are Latino.
