Vallejo school district committee recommends closing two elementary schools

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VALLEJO – A Vallejo City Unified School District committee recommended Monday that the district close two elementary schools and relocate the programs currently operating at an education complex.

During a meeting, the committee recommended Lincoln and Pennycook elementary schools for closure, and relocating the programs at the John Finney Education Complex, which hosts small schools for students who face academic challenges, special education students, and others in unique circumstances.

The closures and relocation, should they be approved by Vallejo’s Board of Education, would occur before the start of the 2026-27 school year. The report also includes four other schools that the board may consider closing, and recommends that the board consider other information and perspectives when making its decision, especially those that will be reported in an equity impact analysis, which is scheduled to be released in September.

District leaders have long attributed the need to close and relocate schools to decreasing district funds due to declining enrollment, as California schools get state funding largely based on their enrollment. While the district enrolled around 18,000 students in 2004, it enrolled 9,656 students last year, after losing about 2% of its enrollment from the previous year.

Schools Superintendent Rubén Aurelio said in June that the school board, faced with a $15.5 million projected deficit for the 2026-27 school year, aims to decide on budget cuts and school closures in December. 

In July, Aurelio estimated that the district will have to close three schools to remain financially stable. But he said that number could change as the district and the board get more information. 

The district’s Closure and Facilities Advisory Committee, which consisted of 10 members who met four times this summer, did not have power to close or relocate schools. But its recommendation will be considered by the board when they make closure and relocation decisions. 

While Lincoln, John Finney and Pennycook are at the top of the list. Other schools are also being considered for closure or relocation. Seven of the district’s 18 school sites have been labeled surplus property, which allows them to be closed or moved. In its report, the committee ranked each school in terms of priority for closure or relocation, in the following order:

1. Lincoln Elementary
2. John Finney Education Complex
3. Pennycook Elementary
4. Steffan Manor Elementary 
5. Cooper Elementary
6. Federal Terrace Elementary 
7. Highland Elementary 

The committee members stated that they ranked Cooper, Federal Terrace and Highland Elementary schools lower on the list than other schools because of their “unique geographic locations,” and cited their strength as community schools. 

Over a dozen staff, parents, and former students of Federal Terrace spoke out against its closure during committee meetings in July, citing its strong community and isolated location, which would make it difficult for students to move to another school site. Five speakers, including staff and parents, spoke out against closing Cooper.

Lincoln Elementary School Principal Sue Kelley said in July that a literacy academy the school implemented has been successful, and helped students “grow leaps and bounds in their literary scores.” Diane Flowers, who works as an after school coordinator at Lincoln, spoke against the closure, saying that “attendance will be vastly impacted if children are forced to bus to another school.”

The committee recommended keeping Lincoln’s literacy program intact by moving it to Federal Terrace and offering Lincoln students the choice to attend school there. Federal Terrace is a two-mile drive from Lincoln.

Lincoln enrolled 70 students last year, the lowest of any district school serving children, and only offered classes for transitional kindergarten through second grade. It enrolled a disproportionately high number of Black students, about twice the district average. This upcoming school year, it is expanding to serve third grade.

The committee’s recommendation to close Pennycook was far from unanimous; the members voted 5-4 to prioritize its closure over Steffan Manor. In a presentation to the committee from July, district staff proposed closing either Pennycook or Steffen Manor, but not both, as space in whichever of those schools remains open will be offered to students who attend the closed school. The schools are less than a mile from each other. Since seeing the presentation, the committee has flip-flopped on which to close. 

On July 28, five Cooper staff members spoke out against that school’s closure. Some, like teacher Lawrence Hager, emphasized logistical issues. 

“Pennycook makes more sense,” Hager said. “It’s a larger campus. The streets are wider, There’s more adequate parking. I love Steffen Manor. It’s a wonderful school. But the streets are narrow. Parking is very difficult.”

Hager also talked about specialized programs for leadership and deaf and hard of hearing students that would be difficult to move.

On Monday, nine speakers, including staff, parents and community members, spoke out in support of keeping Steffen Manor open. Speakers emphasized the educational programs, touted support that a local church and business offers, and claimed their facilities were in better condition than Pennycook’s.

District staff appear to agree that Steffen Manor is in better condition than Pennycook. They classified Steffan Manor’s condition as “good” and Pennycook’s condition as “fair” in a presentation.

Members of the Community Presbyterian Church across the street from Steffen Manor said the church’s location allows them to help the school through programs like food distribution. Other speakers said the nearby 7-Eleven offers space in their lot for people to park.

Loree Tackmier, a transitional kindergarten teacher at Steffen Manor, mentioned the site is retaining students, an issue she said Pennycook struggles with. Pennycook has lost enrollment every year since 2021-22, when it enrolled 480 students. In 2023-24, it enrolled 380 students. Last year it enrolled 364 students, but this further loss is likely affected by the school no longer offering sixth grade enrollment. Steffan Manor’s population has dipped slightly over the last four years, as 458 students attended the school in 2021-22, and 433 attended the school last year.

At the meeting, committee member Tee Lek Ying said it seems likely one of the schools would be closed “due to their physical proximity to each other.”

“Given things like physical condition and traffic flow,” Ying said. “I feel it’s hard for us to make a decision and it’ll come down to the board.”