Schools Face Closure in Alameda

"Good riddance," Alameda kids may be thinking as school closures loom.

The institutional torture chamber known as "the public school system" is facing new challenges in the East Bay district. Nearly half of the schools may close over the next two years, and class sizes are expected to soar. Exactly what will be done with those shuttered buildings? We're crossing our fingers for a bunch of new roller skating rinks.

Among the schools facing the gong: Wood, Lincoln, Washington, Paden, Edison, Otis, Lum -- the list goes on and on. There are not enough muffins and bake sales in the world to stem this tide, which has required around $4 million in cuts. And even more deficits are expected in the coming years. It's due in large part to local reluctance to raise taxes. Alameda recently voted down Measure E, which could have prevented the closures.

Turf wars are already breaking out, with backers of some schools accusing the school board of playing politics.

More meetings have been scheduled for September 30 and October 21 at Ruby Bridges Elementary. Hopefully they can afford to keep the lights on, otherwise you may need to bring a flashlight.

It's not all bad news for Alameda schools: test scores rose overall this year. But tests don't pay the bills.