The Santa Rosa City School District faces the difficult task of addressing a $20 to $30 million budget shortfall by deciding which schools to close. An advisory committee was assembled to make recommendations to the school board that would consider the interests of all stakeholders. During the committee’s preliminary meetings, concerns were raised about the potential negative impact of school closures on specific student demographics, particularly the predominantly Hispanic communities in West Santa Rosa. To minimize the impact on schools with underperforming students, the committee recommended removing academic performance from the list of criteria for school closure. The rationale provided was that academic performance is often seen as a proxy for privilege rather than a meaningful metric in itself.

While it is the committee’s and school board’s duty to determine which school closures would have the least negative impact on the community, excluding academic achievement as a criterion is both shortsighted and unwise. Schools, especially high schools, often serve as community hubs. They foster connections through sports teams, music programs, debate teams, and other extracurricular activities that enrich students’ lives and broaden their horizons. Friday night football games, for instance, offer families a venue to gather and rally around their school’s team. These activities, while valuable, orbit the school’s primary mission: to provide a solid education that prepares students to succeed in today’s society.

Not every student will become a community leader, judge, dentist, or entrepreneur. However, these roles are essential for the functioning and prosperity of our community, and having these leaders emerge from local schools will increase the odds that our community will attract them. The most important reason to include academic performance as a closure criterion, however, is to guarantee a minimum standard of education for all students. A school system that graduates students where only a minority achieve reading and math proficiency fails both its students and the broader community.

Closing any school will undoubtedly cause hardship for its students. Fortunately, our school system allows for transfers between schools. Students seeking higher performance levels, more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, or diverse enrichment opportunities can transfer to schools that meet their needs. Studies have repeatedly shown that transferring students from low-performing schools to high-performing ones significantly improves their academic outcomes. Conversely, closing a high-performing school shuts down opportunities for students who wish to benefit from such an environment, particularly those from under-resourced backgrounds.

Including academic performance as a closure criterion is not about accommodating the preferences of parents from high-performing schools, who may choose private education for their children. Rather, it is about preserving opportunities for underprivileged students and their families. Excluding academic performance from consideration would hinder academic achievement, limit opportunities, and harm the long-term prospects of our community. Such a decision would not only neglect the education of today’s students but also jeopardize the future vitality of Santa Rosa.

Thank you for your support!

David Chen, Ph.D.

Organizer, Better Santa Rosa

Realtor, W  Real Estate

(707) 360-8565