Radical campus change proposed by Sonoma school trustee

In the face of declining enrollment, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District has begun considering a wide range of options, including consolidating campuses. Last week, Trustee John Kelly laid out a radical plan that calls for closing five campuses, some of which would be rebuilt as affordable housing, reclaiming the charter school campuses and consolidating all elementary education at El Verano and Flowery.

The plan will get its first public review during the March 9 school board meeting.

Kelly calls for the closure of Dunbar Elementary, Flowery Elementary, Sassarini Elementary, Prestwood Elementary and Altimira Middle School. All pre-K and elementary students would head to either Flowery or El Verano.

The district’s dual immersion program, which currently spans Flowery and Adele Harrison Middle School, would be consolidated into a K-8 program on the campuses that now house Altimira Middle School and Woodland Star Charter School. The campuses of the district’s two K-8 charter schools, Woodland Star and Sonoma Charter, would be “reclaimed” and re-purposed.

Dunbar, the oldest campus in Sonoma County, would become a district-sponsored non-public school, which is most commonly provided for kids who learn differently due to dyslexia, autism or other special needs.

“The remaining facilities at Dunbar will be made available on a competitive basis to Woodland Star Charter School and Sonoma Charter School,” Kelly wrote in a Feb. 26 email to acting Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Kaufman.

Kelly suggests that the decommissioned campuses at Sonoma Charter, Sassarini and Prestwood become affordable housing for teachers and school staff.

The board will discuss the proposal at the March 9 meeting, which opens at 4 p.m. in closed session, and 5 p.m. in open session at the district offices, 17850 Railroad Ave.

Contact editor/publisher Emily Charrier at emily.charrier@sonomanews.com.