DRAFT FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
March 15, 2022
Via Electronic Mail
Cupertino Union School District
Board of Education
1309 South Mary Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Re: R.I. Meyerholz Elementary and William Regnart Elementary School Closures
Dear Honorable Board Members:
I write on behalf of the City of Cupertino and the Cupertino City Council to express our concern regarding your October 14, 2021 decision to close the Regnart and Meyerholz Elementary Schools and to relocate the Cupertino Language Immersion Program to the Muir Elementary School campus.
The City appreciates that difficult decisions may be required to address declining enrollment and remain fiscally solvent in the Cupertino Union School District (“School District”), and we value the School District as a partner in serving the residents of Cupertino. However, due to the absence of the 7-11 committee to gather facts and consider options, as advised by the “ Closing a
School: Best Practices Guide” (“Best Practice Guide”) by the California Department of Education, based on Education Code, the impacted families are not convinced that the decision to close schools was “based upon hard, empirical evidence that leads to a broadly supported, incontrovertible conclusion-the district cannot afford to keep a particular school(s) open without cuts elsewhere,” as the Guide advises. As a result, many residents think the school closure decision as having been made in haste, with insufficient notice to affected families.
Many residents feel frustrated and have strong reservations regarding the decision-making process. Many have sent their students to private schools or are planning to do so. Some plan to move out of the District. The quality of life of our residents and the quality of school-based infrastructure will be adversely impacted in comparison to neighboring cities with smaller neighborhood schools within walkable/bikeable distances. Should this sentiment towards public schools result in the lack of voter support for future parcel tax and bond measures for either the School District or for Fremont Union High School District, the quality of our schools will be negatively affected. Property values of Cupertino homes could see a commensurate decline; the tax base of the City may well be detrimentally affected by your decisions to close schools.
The City of Cupertino urges the School Board to reconsider the October 14, 2021 decision in light of its impact on Cupertino families, and to evaluate considerations that were not adequately addressed by the School Board. In particular, we are concerned that the School Board:
R.I. Meyerholz Elementary and William Regnart Elementary School Closures March 15, 2022
● did not fully consider the improved conditions of the School District finances to evaluate the necessity of school closure;
● did not fully consider alternatives outlined in the Best Practice Guide to ensure that school closure is the last resort;
● did not assess and compare the various costs associated with consolidating schools with the savings in the operating cost of one school ($400,000); ● did not fairly assess enrollment trends of all schools under consideration; ● did not gather facts to disclose assignment strategies causing enrollment declines in some schools and increases in other neighboring schools;
● did not take into account the temporary effect of the pandemic; ● did not consider the adverse educational impacts of larger elementary schools; ● did not consider the regional trends to smaller schools with smaller classes; ● did not take into account the effect on enrollment from the newly-approved mandatory Transitional Kindergarten program;
● did not take into account the effect on enrollment of significant housing-production mandates being adopted by every city government;
● did not evaluate the physical impacts of school closure on the community, including increased traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.
To help alleviate the City’s concerns and to ensure transparency and accountability in the decision-making process, the City urges the School Board to reconsider its October 14, 2021 decision. Specifically, the City urges the School Board to consider:
● keeping Regnart and Meyerholz Elementary Schools open; ● adjusting policies to support natural fluctuations in enrollment at neighborhood schools with small classes as needed; and
● re-evaluating the ideal school size for competitive high-quality student learning.
The City of Cupertino stands ready to be a partner with the School Board to ensure that any school closure decision is made in a manner that does not unnecessarily harm our households.
We believe reevaluation of the District’s school closure decision may lead to the best interests of the School District and all of its families in the long run.
Thank you for your consideration of this request, and we look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,