Families in East San Jose are fighting to keep a school in their neighborhood open.
The future of the Aptitud Community Academy at Goss is expected to be decided by the school board Thursday night.
Families of students took their complaints to the streets outside the school before facing the school board.
Aptitud was redesigned as a district dependent charter about 12 years ago when it was decided to close Goss Elementary for many of the reasons being applied now – mainly declining enrollment and lack of state and federal funds.
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In an attempt to save Aptitud for its older students, the district is considering relocating the 120 sixth, seventh and eight graders and putting them on another middle school campus.
The kindergarten through fifth grade students would stay but in a less crowded facility.
Protesting families said relocation is the same as closing because Aptitud is right in their neighborhood.
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"As a parent, I don’t want them to close my kid’s middle school because we have a great, great teacher," parent Elizabeth Rojo said. "Our community, they’re really close. I think this is the best way to have a good education for our kids."
Alum Rock Union School District's Hilaria Bauer, the superintendent recommending the partial closure, said she’s sympathetic to the families at Aptitud but points out the district was only able to rescue Aptitud and some other schools with one-time COVID emergency state and federal dollars.
"You need about 500 students to be able to finance an elementary school, right?" she said. "In terms of numbers for a middle school or a TK-8, you need 700. Aptitud has currently 410."
If the school board follows the recommendation to relocate Aptitud, there will be more meetings with families in August. That will be when parents and students hear their options on what school to attend next.
