Petition to the San José Unified School District Board of Education: Maintain Sustainable Boundaries for Los Alamitos Elementary School

To: The San José Unified School District (SJUSD) Board of Education 

Regarding: STIC Elementary School Boundary Realignments Recommendation (Option 8)

We, the undersigned parents, residents, and community members of the Los Alamitos Elementary School neighborhood, formally request that the Board of Education amend the proposed boundary changes in the STIC Final Recommendation.

While we understand the complex challenges of declining enrollment district-wide, the proposed addition of a highly dense geographic pocket to the Los Alamitos boundary fundamentally contradicts the District’s stated goals. It breaks a school that currently fits the "ideal" size, violates the District's transportation and walkability metrics, may lack support infrastructure to ensure the academic success of all incoming students, poses severe safety risks to students, and was rushed through a flawed, 11th-hour process.

We urge the Board to amend the final boundary map based on the STIC's own evaluation criteria and basic standards of community engagement:

1. Violation of Criteria 1 & 10: Breaking an "Ideal" School and Solving a Non-Existent Concern The Schools of Tomorrow Advisory Committee (STAC) defined an "ideal" elementary school as having 3 classes per grade level (roughly 500–680 students). Los Alamitos is currently thriving at exactly this size, operating 25 classrooms across TK–5 (averaging 3 to 4 classes per grade level) with 615 enrolled students.

• The "Overcrowding" Math & Deflated Projections:  Based on the Option 8 projections (608  in-boundary projected 7-year students) shows that the proposed boundary addition contains approximately 76 elementary-aged children,  (in 7-years), this results in over a 10% increase at Los Alamitos.. Additionally, the 7-year Option 8 projection of just 608 students at Los Alamitos appears deflated, with answers needed to critical questions:
  
  • Where are the Transfer Students? The 7-year model excludes transfer students, a demographic that currently makes up 66 of our 614 students. Unless the District intends to prohibit new transfers to Los Alamitos—a policy change not discussed—this omission causes a significant gap in student projections.
  • Where is the new housing growth? Do projections account for "by right" SB 4 housing developments already in the pipeline? Specifically, the 5655 Gallup development (Project No. H23-019 at the Southridge Church site) is zoned for Los Alamitos. Based on 2020 Census data of nearby housing, this complex of 244 units alone projects an additional ~40 TK-5 children.
• No Impending Enrollment Crisis at Los Alamitos:
  The committee is justifying the boundary addition by claiming Los Alamitos Elementary is at risk of falling below "ideal" enrollment. However, their own 7-year projections prove otherwise:
  • Status Quo Immediate: 548 in-boundary students (614 total enrollment minus 66 transfer students).
  • Status Quo 7-Year Projection: 532 in-boundary students (even when assuming zero future transfers).
  • The Reality: This is only a 3% decrease over the next seven years, even when projecting this trend past 7 years, e.g. 10+ years the school remains well within ideal range without accounting for transfer students.
  • At 532 students, per the STIC’s status quo 7-year projection, Los Alamitos will safely remain well within the "ideal" size range without any boundary changes. The data clearly shows there is no impending enrollment crisis to justify forcing this change.
• Creating a Mega-School: An unaccounted for influx of 100+ pushes Los Alamitos to 4 to 5 classes per grade level, pushing against STAC's defined ideal for a standard school. Option 8 is a short-sighted, unnecessary solution solving a problem that doesn’t exist. This perceived, potential future problem, beyond the current 7-year estimates would be a concern to address in the future if needed. There is no current or projected deviation from what an ideal school size is as noted by the Status Quo 7-Year Projection.

2. Violation of Criteria 3 & 8: Fiscal Irresponsibility & The Transportation Paradox SJUSD Administrative Regulation 3541 mandates "maximum efficiency in the use of buses and decreased traffic." The proposed boundary addition blatantly violates this regulation, creating an illogical, unsafe, and highly expensive transportation burden:

• A Manufactured Financial Subsidy & BP 3100  Violation: The new area is around 2 miles away from Los Alamitos and goes along a Priority Vision Zero Safety Corridor, which is “where a disproportionately high number of traffic deaths and severe injuries have occurred” according to the city. Under AR 3541, any elementary student living over 1.5 miles from their school is eligible for district-provided transportation. By creating a new dangerous roughly 2mile commute, the District is legally obligating itself to an avoidable, long-term financial subsidy. Furthermore, the STIC and Board have failed to provide a Transportation Cost-Benefit Analysis comparing the 2 mile Los Alamitos route against the 0.8-mile Almaden Elementary route. This omission fails the transparency and fiscal accountability requirements of Board Policy (BP) 3100. We demand that these permanent encumbered costs be publicly disclosed before the March 26 vote. Every dollar spent busing these students  about 2 miles without a fiscal analysis is a dollar diverted away from classroom instruction.
• The Logical Alternative: This same neighborhood is only 0.8 miles from Almaden Elementary, offering a highly walkable route that crosses only one major intersection. Bypassing Almaden Elementary to bus students about 2 miles to an overcrowded Los Alamitos directly contradicts the District's own fiscal sustainability goals. We demand the Board adhere to the proximity and efficiency standards outlined in AR 3541 and assign this neighborhood to its closest facility.

3. Violation of Criteria 2, 4, & 6: Core Infrastructure & Neighborhood Safety Constraints Los Alamitos was built in 1974 for a fraction of its current student body. While the District’s "capacity" metrics may count the roughly 18 temporary portable classrooms currently on our campus as available space, our core infrastructure is at a breaking point.

• Shared Resources:The "core" facilities at Los Alamitos—the MPR, library, and restrooms—have not been expanded since 1974 and are functionally over capacity. While portable classrooms add desk space, they do not scale the infrastructure required by CDE Title 5 and the California Plumbing Code (CPC). The MPR is capped at about 360 occupants, already forcing five lunch rotations and split assemblies. Adding additional students would severely impact safety. Furthermore, adding students without ensuring compliance of CDE Title 5 and CPE Chapter 4 is a direct violation of health and accessibility standards. We demand a formal Facility Capacity Audit —before any boundary expansions are approved.
• Traffic & Safety: The school sits in a quiet residential neighborhood with minimal infrastructure to support high-volume commuter traffic. Introducing additional daily commuting vehicles would create a serious safety crisis. During this school year alone, a student walking to school was struck by a vehicle and required medical treatment (SJPD 25-258-0219). The physical footprint of this neighborhood was not designed to accommodate this traffic volume, and increasing it places pedestrians at even greater risk.

4. A Flawed, Rushed Process (Lack of Community Engagement) The Schools of Tomorrow process has been ongoing for months, yet Option 8 was added by STIC to the agenda on March 6, 2026 and then selected to present to the Board of Education days later on March 10, 2026. The 50 page final report was released on March 18, 2026, only 3 days before the Board of Education Special Session for proposal discussion. The Los Alamitos community was completely blindsided by this 11th-hour boundary change proposal. We were denied the months of transparent public engagement, data review, and feedback opportunities afforded to other communities. The Board should not approve a massive rezoning that completely bypassed adequate public scrutiny.

Our Request to the Board:

We respectfully urge the Board of Education to utilize its authority during the March 21 Special Session and March 26 final vote to amend the STIC proposed boundary map. We ask that you route this specific neighborhood to a closer, under-enrolled facility (such as Almaden Elementary).  Doing so prevents the District from committing to fiscally irresponsible, long-term transportation subsidies under AR 3541, ensures compliance with the fiscal transparency requirements of BP 3100, avoids wasteful spending/ updating aging/ inadequate facilities, and corrects a flawed public process. We demand the encumbered transportation costs of Option 8 be disclosed and a Facility Capacity Audit completed before voting to expand the Los Alamitos Elementary boundaries. We ask the Board to allow Los Alamitos to remain at the STAC-defined ideal capacity, ensuring the safety and educational quality of all SJUSD students.

This site is an independent, community-led initiative. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Los Alamitos Elementary PTA or the San José Unified School District (SJUSD). We are a collective of concerned parents and neighbors advocating for our school.

For additional information, concerns, or questions please contact info@losalamitoselementary.com.