The San José Unified community has changed substantially within the past decade. Like many places in the Bay Area, the high cost of living has meant that many families have moved away, and fewer babies are being born. As a result, our enrollment has declined by over 6,000 students, or 20%, since the 2017-2018 school year. The number of elementary schools with fewer than 350 students has doubled during that time, rising from six to twelve. Our smallest elementary school now has fewer than 200 students, while our largest has more than 800.
The number of students at a school directly impacts how many teachers and support staff – counselors, nurses, campus supervisors, etc. – can be assigned there. The number of staff, in turn, affects which programs schools can offer, such as science, arts, and music. Staffing numbers also affect whether we need to create “combo classes” in which two grade levels are taught by one teacher in the same classroom. The Schools of Tomorrow process is a response to these challenges that will enable us to address declining enrollment in a positive, student-centered way.
In addition, our community showed their strong support of our schools through the passage of the Measure R general obligation bond last year. We are developing a plan to guide how we will improve our school facilities with Measure R funds over the next 20-30 years. The Schools of Tomorrow process will help us focus our facilities investments and ensure we are getting the most out of Measure R for our students, staff, and community.
