School Consolidation Task Force

  •  Dear Parents and Caregivers, Staff and Community,  

     One of the greatest challenges that our district is facing today is the decline in student enrollment.  Public schools throughout California are experiencing this trend that is   affecting the funding available to our schools. Unfortunately, Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District (MPESD) is not an exception.  

     Student attendance is a critical factor in how public education is funded. The continuous decline in student enrollment is reaching a very difficult level in our district. The   number of students currently enrolled for the 2021-22 academic school year is 1,705, which is a decline of 1,258 from the 2008-2009 academic school year. 

     On November 10, 2021, District leadership informed the Board of Trustees that an advisory committee would be formed to provide recommendations regarding closing and   consolidating schools to help address the fiscal challenges facing the district due to declining enrollment.  

     The ultimate goal of these efforts is to maintain instructional programs and services that benefit our students, address the needs of our staff, and maintain facilities in good   repair. As part of this process, the district created a special committee to take part in this important process. 

     Community members were invited to join the new committee to make recommendations regarding the closure and consolidation of  MPESD school sites due to declining   enrollment.  While existing programs such as the ALAS Dual Immersion, STEAM, AVID, and other instructional programs will be continuing, the Committee will be considering consolidating programs.  

     The committee’s makeup has representation from all five schools. The committee makeup includes parents/caregivers, certificated employees, classified employees, union   representation, and district administrators. 

     Enrollment Data for the District: 

     Enrollment Data for the District

    Communication About School Consolidations and Fiscal Solvency:

     

    Basic Timeline of Actions and Events:  

    • November 17: Forms from parents interested in joining the committee were due. 
    • November 30: Committee members were notified, schedules were shared, and members were reminded of their commitment to attend all meetings.  
    • Committee meeting dates established:  
    • December 6 (first committee meeting in person), December 13, January 6, January 10, and January 24; January 31 is a placeholder in case an additional meeting is needed. 
    • January 10, Committee meeting to provide updates to the community. 
    • January 24, Committee provides recommendation/s to the Superintendent. The committee’s recommendation should include closing one school in 2022-23 and possibly another school to close in 2023-24. The committee could also provide recommendations for consolidating and/or restructuring schools that may remain open.
    • February 9 Board meeting: The Superintendent will bring her recommendation to the Board and the Board will have a Public Hearing. 
    • February 16 Board Meeting: The Board will take action on the Superintendent’s recommendation.
    • February 17, Community will be notified of the Board’s decision/s. 

      Throughout this process, the district will keep the community informed. Starting on December 13, before every committee meeting, the public will also have 30 minutes to ask questions or provide input before the committee goes into a closed session. Public comment will take place from 5:00-5:30, Zoom link will be provided.

      Before the committee provides the final recommendation/s to the Superintendent, there will be a community meeting to update the public (tentatively scheduled for January 10, 2022). If you have questions, please contact Superintendent Dr. Elida MacArthur by email at emacarthur@mpesd.org 

      Thank you for your support as we navigate these challenges. Let’s continue to work together with the common goal of supporting our students’ education.