Six California Schools Face Closure Over Enrollment and Repair Costs

Six elementary schools in Ventura Unified School District could be closed as officials respond to declining enrollment, vacant classroom space and tens of millions of dollars in overdue campus maintenance.

The district’s School Closures Advisory Committee, created in January 2026, has recommended closing Lemon Grove, Mound, Poinsettia, E.P. Foster, Sheridan Way and Junipero Serra elementary schools before the next academic year begins.

The proposal has prompted strong concern from families. During the committee’s Oct. 1 meeting, 33 members of the public shared comments addressing the potential impact of the school closures.

Tanya Toutz-Hager, a second-grade teacher at Lemon Grove Elementary, previously urged the committee at its Jun. 8 meeting to examine how closures could affect access to Title I support. She also warned that low-income families could face added burdens if students have to travel farther to attend school.

District parent Darcy Duffy raised separate questions during a Mar. 19 meeting about the proposed closure schedule, enrollment figures, building capacity and possible changes to special day class programs.

The committee’s draft report, reviewed by the California Post, estimates that Lemon Grove K-8 School needs $19.7 million in facility work. At the same time, nearly half of the campus’ permanent capacity is expected to remain unused. Lemon Grove has only 72 students in grades six through eight, the lowest middle-grade enrollment among Ventura Unified’s K-8 schools.

Mound Elementary, which is also being considered for closure, is Ventura Unified’s only choice-only elementary school, meaning it does not serve students according to neighborhood attendance boundaries.

The campus attracts students from nearby schools facing enrollment losses, including Elmhurst, Juanamaria, ATLAS and Poinsettia.

Mound is also projected to need $17.5 million in modernization work and has raised traffic-safety concerns. With 46 students, it has the highest number of inter-district transfers among the district’s elementary schools.

Poinsettia Elementary is facing an estimated $15.6 million in facility repairs and modernization projects.

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E.P. Foster and Sheridan Way elementary schools present a particularly difficult choice for Ventura Unified. Based on the committee’s objective criteria, both Westside campuses rank among the district’s leading candidates for closure.

E.P. Foster is estimated to require $20.5 million in repairs and operates at about 47% of its capacity. Sheridan Way faces approximately $17.3 million in projected costs and has a utilization rate of 55%.

Closing both Westside schools, however, would leave a large portion of Ventura without a nearby elementary campus and could intensify concerns about educational equity. The advisory committee did not choose between them, instead leaving the decision to the Board of Education Trustees. It noted that if E.P. Foster is closed, Sheridan Way should begin enrolling English-speaking students.

Junipero Serra Elementary is projected to need $24.9 million for facility repairs and modernization. Its utilization is estimated at 48% when portable classrooms are included and 67% when they are excluded.

Nearby campuses such as Citrus Glen, ATLAS and Portola currently appear to have enough room to accommodate students if Junipero Serra is ultimately shut down.

About 14,400 students attended Ventura Unified during the 2024-25 school year. California Department of Education data shows districtwide enrollment has fallen by nearly 20% over the past decade, with further declines expected.

Ken Reynolds of SchoolWorks, Inc. presented the district’s demographic and enrollment projections at the committee’s April 23 meeting. His analysis forecast substantial enrollment losses across Ventura Unified schools during the next six years.

The district’s financial pressures have also deepened. Ventura Unified recorded a $21 million deficit in 2020-21, followed by an overall general fund deficit of $18.65 million in 2024-25. District financial reports reviewed by The Post projected another shortfall of $11.02 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Despite the ongoing budget crisis, Superintendent Antonio Castro received total compensation of $374,566 last year, according to Transparent California, the state’s largest public database of government employee salaries.

Ventura Unified operates 28 elementary, middle, high and alternative schools, along with additional educational programs, according to its website. The district manages a budget of $255.73 million.