Students and staff at a San Jose charter school known for helping at-risk students are worried and angry about their uncertain future.
Downtown College Prep, currently housed in the San Jose Unified School District's old Hester School campus, may soon be evicted and pushed into a much smaller, more remote facility.
The school is the main focus in a series of changes being proposed and part of a chain reaction of moves by the district that DCP said could bury them.
"I feel like they just don't feel 'valued' by the district because they're moving the whole campus and they know a lot of students aren't going to be able to continue here," DCP student Paulina Orozco said.
DCP founder Jennifer Andaluz said the district has not allowed charter school officials and families to provide in put on the proposed move.
"They haven't engaged DCP's leadership or parents and families in any of their decisions and rationale for displacing such a strong and essential program in their district," Andaluz said.
The district said the proposed move is just one part of an overall plan to relocate numerous facilities based on expiring leases and limited bond money. District officials also disputed that DCP will lose space and resources.
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"What we need to know actually is what 'needs' Downtown College Prep has so we can provide the different classrooms and increase the size of the building for them," said Jorge Quintana, district spokesman.
The Santa Clara County Board of Education is scheduled to address the changes at a meeting Wednesday. The San Jose Unified School District is scheduled to discuss and possibly vote on the proposed moves on Thursday.
