What we know — and what we don’t — about South Bay Union’s school closure talks

Under the committee’s recommendations, Mendoza Elementary students could be moved to other campuses throughout the district. Or, they could conduct a swap that would move them to the Nestor Language Academy campus — though they wouldn’t be prioritized for enrollment. 

That’s because students at Nestor Academy, a charter school serving transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, take part in a two-way Spanish immersion program. The majority of subjects are taught in Spanish and English is gradually introduced as a student advances grade levels. 

Students looking to enroll at the school would need to be tested to determine their language skills. Those in higher grade levels who don’t have strong Spanish biliteracy skills may not be at the level of their peers, said Superintendent Jose Espinoza. 

“If you put a fifth grade student at Nestor who doesn’t have any literacy in Spanish, that student is going to struggle because all the other students that have been there and have literacy they’re gonna be working at a certain level,” he said. 

Comments from the district’s town halls show families are beginning to consider the logistics of their children attending another school.

“As a homeowner who lives next to Mendoza, why should/do I have to go out of my boundary? Why do I now have to pay more on gas when I can walk my children to school?” the parent wrote during a town hall. 

Espinoza said the district hasn’t yet considered transportation options for impacted students. But he acknowledged that many parents walk their children to school — and that a change could increase the district’s already high chronic absenteeism.

Students are considered chronically absent if they have missed at least 10% of instructional days enrolled. Last year, one-third of South Bay Union students were chronically absent — “very high” under state standards. Two of the district’s schools that could be impacted had even higher rates: 44.5% at Mendoza and 40% at Central.

In response, South Bay Union has brought in counselors — which the district has never had before — social workers and parents liaisons, Espinoza said. 

Officials have not provided further details on what campus upgrades would be needed after consolidating schools. But they have said any of the committee’s options would require a significant financial investment ranging from $9 million to as much as $25 million per site — money that the district doesn’t currently have.

Now it’s turning to voters for help. Board members have unanimously approved placing two bonds on the November ballot — one for $67 million and the other for $58 million — after conducting a community survey that showed the proposal would have viable support. 

If approved, the funding could be used to renovate facilities for science, technology, engineering, arts and math instruction; safety improvements; new classrooms; and more.

The district’s aging facilities are on average 60 years old. 

“We all want the best learning environments for our kids and our staff and they deserve what you see in other areas. The ZIP code shouldn't matter when we're talking about educating our kids,” Rigo Lara, the district’s assistant superintendent of business services, said during the May board meeting.

Espinoza said South Bay Union has lost “quite a few students” to the Chula Vista elementary district, where housing developments on the city’s east side have spurred population growth and the construction of newer schools. 

“If we want to have facilities, the type of facilities that our students deserve, we can’t hope that the state is all of a sudden going to find money to say, ‘Don’t worry about it guys, we got you,’” he said.

About 70% of people surveyed in August said they would vote yes on the measures, according to district documents. Officials say the cost of both bonds for the average homeowner would be about $194 annually. 

The state also is expected to propose a bond for schools in November and the only way that funding will be available to districts is if they can match those funds, Espinoza added in May. Districts that don’t have funding available would not have access to the state bond, he said. 

Officials have yet to announce exactly what would happen to Central Elementary if board members decide to close it. But Espinoza previously told inewsource that if a school site were to become vacant the district would look into possibly building workforce housing.

A survey last year showed that staff was highly interested in workforce housing, he said. The district is looking to obtain funding for this type of project through the proposed bond in November.

“Workforce housing is a movement that has taken on a lot of steam at the state level,” Espinoza said. “With the high cost of living in California… it's really hard to live in the communities that you work in.” 

School districts across California, such as San Diego Unified, have partnered with developers to build affordable housing for its staff. Affordable housing to San Diego Unified employees who qualify is offered through LIVIA, a rental community in Scripps Ranch, based on maximum household income limits. 

Espinoza said the Central campus is in “extreme” need of upgrades. A feasibility study would be conducted if the district decided to move forward with building housing, he said. 

South Bay Union employs about 950 people. Layoffs are a possibility as the district deals with declining funding and enrollment, Espinoza said. 

“It's something that we would love to stay away from, any types of layoffs, any types of cuts, but … if the students aren't here, then we don't need as much staff to serve the students that we do have,” he said. “That's a reality of the challenge that we're facing.” 

Other districts are facing the same decisions. inewsource found that each of the county’s 10 largest school districts are grappling with budget deficits in coming years, prompting half of them to issue layoff notices.

Classified employees can be laid off at any time throughout the year, but California districts can typically only lay off teachers between March and May. All employees must receive advance notice that they will be laid off.