The committee identified the schools based on enrollment, targeting schools with fewer than 300 students, and took into account whether they had special education and bilingual programs. On its website, SJUSD said its “ideal” elementary school would have three classes per grade level, or four classes at schools with English immersion and bilingual programs.
But parents and educators packed into the district’s office for Thursday night’s meeting said the process has been rushed, and closures will cause stress and instability that harms their children.
Canoas Elementary teacher Dina Solnit told district leaders she’s worried about how her students will get to their new schools.
“Transportation is a real barrier for our families,” she said during Thursday’s meeting. “Many of our families live far from the proposed schools. If a student misses a bus, their only options may be an unsafe walk or missing school altogether.”
SJUSD has said it will provide students who live more than a mile and a half from their new school with transportation, but has only guaranteed that for the next year.
Another chief concern among parents is that the closures will disproportionately affect Latino and socio-economically disadvantaged students.
Empire Gardens Elementary School in San José on March 26, 2026. The school is among those proposed for closure as part of the San José Unified School District’s “Schools of Tomorrow” plan. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
More than 70% of students at four of the schools recommended for closure identify as Hispanic or Latino, compared to about 55.2% of all SJUSD students, according to California Department of Education data. All five are Title I campuses.
“Parents are not just frustrated, they feel that their voices have not been heard, and that their concerns about the proposed school closures are not being taken seriously,” parent and teacher Tatiana Pineda said. “This lack of representation is especially pervasive among our Spanish-speaking parents, whose voices have been underrepresented and misrepresented in this process.”
Earlier this week, some filed a legal complaint with the school district, alleging that the closure plan violates state and federal anti-discrimination regulations.
Lowell Elementary School in San José on March 26, 2026. The school is among those proposed for closure as part of the San José Unified School District’s “Schools of Tomorrow” plan. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
During Thursday’s meeting, Silvia Scandar Mahan read a statement from her husband, San José Mayor Matt Mahan, calling on the district to consider the effect the plan would have on historically marginalized communities.
“I respectfully urge the board not to move forward with this Schools of Tomorrow proposal and instead work directly with parents and educators who are most affected by these decisions,” she read. “Please also do not neglect communities of color and low-income communities who have historically been left off of decision-making tables. Parents should be partners in shaping their schools, not an afterthought.”
The school district will have to investigate the parents’ discrimination claims and report their findings within 60 days. Depending on their conclusions, the parents could escalate the legal challenge to the state.
