As school closure debate grows, Davis Joint Unified parents seek say in decisions
As the Davis Joint Unified School District grapples with declining enrollment and potential school closures, a coalition of parents is urging the district to create a community advisory committee to help guide the process.
The group submitted a petition signed by 1,041 Davis households to the school board at its meeting Thursday, calling for more community participation in decisions about closing or reorganizing schools.
District enrollment has declined by about 300 students since 2019, and officials project elementary school enrollment will fall by another 600 students by 2031. If those projections hold, the district would need to reduce its budget by about $9.5 million.
To address the shortfall, the district has been developing contingency plans that could include closing schools or consolidating programs onto fewer campuses.
‘We can do this together’
Some parents say they feel excluded from the planning process. They point to state and federal recommendations encouraging school districts to form community advisory committees to help guide school closure decisions.
The petition asks the district to “ensure that decisions regarding school closures are transparent, equitable and grounded in reliable data.”
The effort was organized by a group of more than 200 district parents, mostly in west Davis, said Shweta Gandhi, a Patwin Elementary School parent who helped write the petition.
The petition represents “a committed, intelligent and passionate community reaching out their hands to say ‘we can do this together’,” Gandhi told the board. “We really urge the board to agendize this request.”
The district did not respond to a request for comment on the petition. During opening remarks at Thursday’s meeting, each trustee said they have recently been meeting with parents to discuss school boundary issues.
Whether and how to close schools is among the most difficult decisions a school board can make, Gandhi said. She works professionally with education data aimed at improving student outcomes. She said the district has offered opportunities for public input, but not everyone can attend school board meetings or listening sessions.
“They didn’t really give an opportunity for the community to engage,” she said.
A representative advisory committee could include parents from different campuses and socioeconomic backgrounds, she said. The group could help district leaders identify blind spots and weigh potential cost savings against community impacts.
Gandhi also said parents could help support district staff who are balancing long-term planning with their regular responsibilities.
“You have access to this incredibly diverse group of community members that are saying, ‘Hey, I’m raising my hand to come in and figure this out,’ and the district is choosing not to go that route and put it on staff,” she said. “It just seems like a missed opportunity to me.”
She said an advisory group could also help build trust by addressing concerns that decisions are being made behind closed doors.
District considers restructuring plan
The district has outlined two possible paths: closing schools or reorganizing grade levels and programs across the district.
One proposal would close Patwin Elementary School, at 2222 Shasta Drive, beginning in the 2028-29 school year and move the Davis School for Independent Study onto the Patwin campus. Patwin students would be distributed among other elementary schools, and attendance boundaries for elementary and junior high schools could be redrawn.
District records show that plan would save about $825,000 annually. If enrollment declines as projected, however, the district could still need to close another elementary school before 2030.
A second proposal would involve a broader districtwide reorganization. That plan would close the Patwin and Birch Lane elementary programs, move all sixth graders to junior high campuses and relocate Da Vinci Junior High School students to the Da Vinci High School campus. The Davis School for Independent Study would move to either the Patwin or Birch Lane campuses starting in the 2028-29 school year.
That plan would also require redrawing elementary and junior high boundaries. Closing two elementary schools and consolidating the two Da Vinci schools would save about $1.785 million annually.
Village Farms vote could shape decision
Future housing development could shift enrollment balance, too.
Davis voters will consider Measure V on June 2, a ballot measure to allow the 1,800-unit Village Farms development that district officials estimate could bring more than 1,100 students to their schools. Another project seeking voters’ approval, Willow Grove, is expected to appear on the November ballot.
The district said it remains in the community outreach phase of its planning process. Officials expect a new demographic report later this month, and enrollment figures in August will also help inform decisions.
The school board is expected to begin making decisions in late 2026, with a final decision anticipated by spring 2027.
Gandhi said forming an advisory committee would not necessarily prevent school closures.
“We just want to be mindful that we’re thinking through all the options,” she said.
