8 Interesting Facts about the Aftermath of Sac City’s School Closures
1. 4 out of the 7 closed schools have re-opened.
In January 2013, Sacramento City Unified School District and former Superintendent Jonathan Raymond proposed the closure of twelve (12) neighborhood elementary schools. Of those twelve, five (5) were quietly taken off the closure list prior to the final vote on the ‘wrong-sizing’ proposal. In February 2013, only a month after announcing the proposal, the Board voted to close seven(7) neighborhood schools in a controversial 4-3 decision.
In the two years since the school closures, 4 out of the 7 campuses have re-opened either as a charter school or a community center.
2. Joseph Bonnheim re-opened as a Community Charter School.
The first school site to re-open was Joseph Bonnheim Elementary. Immediately following the closures, parents, teachers and community members came together to save their neighborhood school. To keep their school open, the community needed to come together to establish a community charter school. A small but incredibly passionate coalition of community leaders and parents raised money, passed around petitions and developed an organic proposal to re-open the school as a dependent charter. Finally, in 2014, the New Joseph Bonnheim (NJB) Community Charter opened its doors to a new cohort of students. NJB remains the only public school in Northern California with a special emphasis on agriculture. A week ago, NJB celebrated its second year and we’re thrilled to see students back at Bonnheim.
- Parents want to convert closed Sacramento campus into charter school. Sacramento Bee. June 18, 2014
- Start of school symbolizes Sacramento parents’ perseverance. KCRA. September 8, 2014
3. La Familia finds new home at Maple Elementary.
For over 40 years, La Familia Counseling Center has been a fixture in the South Sacramento community and a hub for Sacramento’s Latino community. In recent years, the expanding number of staff and the growing need for services among Sacramento’s diverse populations made LFCC’s location on Fruitridge Road feel a bit cramped. In July 2015, LFCC confirmed a lease for Maple Elementary School to convert it into their new headquarters. By moving their main office to Maple Elementary, LFCC is better situated to expand its world-class services to the Maple and South Sacramento community.
- HIP’s Letter of Support for La Familia Counseling Center
- Sac City school approves venture with La Familia, community collaborative at former school sites. Sacramento Bee. July 17, 2015
4. Washington Elementary re-opens in Midtown.
The only closed school outside of South Sacramento was Midtown’s Washington Elementary. During public testimony to oppose the school closures, one Washington Elementary parent remarked, “it doesn’t make sense to close a school in a community that is growing tremendously. More and more families are moving into the area and we will need a neighborhood school to call our own.” As it turns, she was right. With the population in Midtown exploding and new developments being built throughout the Downtown area, the need to re-open Washington became apparent when neighboring schools became overcrowded. With the help