Facing Declining Enrollment Together

By H. Ernie Nishii

In June, the ABC Unified School District Board of Education considered a recommendation by Schoolworks to address ABC’s long-term declining enrollment by consolidating schools.  At the time, a majority of the Board chose not to act on the recommendations. After years of committees, demographic studies, and consultant and staff reports, several trustees asked for more time and more data, especially fall enrollment, to confirm whether regional trends (lower birth rates, high housing costs, and families moving out of the region or state) would keep affecting our schools as they had for the last nine straight years.

We now have that data. August enrollment shows a reduction of more than 350 students, which is about the equivalent of an entire small school disappearing. While we welcomed about 1,000 kindergarteners this fall, we will graduate roughly 1,400 seniors in May. The simple math suggests 400 fewer students next year if trends continue. Another small school.  This year, I am getting complaints of more “combo” classes (a class with two different grades with one teacher). If we don’t have enough students, we must combine grades.  This is tough for the teacher who must double lesson plans and instruction for two different grade levels–and it is tough for the struggling student who doesn’t always get it the first time.  

Financially, ABC currently runs a $3.5 million structural deficit, and we anticipate a further drop of more than $3 million in federal funding. This year, I received a letter from the LAICO indicating that our spending was not sustainable and that, without change, we would be under the minimum reserve amount in three years.  

After receiving the August enrollment data, the board requested a Study Session, which I granted.  Because the Study Session had no “action item” we changed the format to be more interactive. The Board first listened to community questions and answered what we could through the presentation or promised answers in FAQ’s. Staff then presented a sober report: even with our high schools ranked in the top quartile nationally, our foreseeable future includes fewer students spread across the same number of campuses. Staff also analyzed ideas raised by the Board and public, including the potential benefits and tradeoffs of K-8 school configurations and strategies to strengthen a 6-8 middle school model. We reviewed recent improvements at Furgeson and the growth at Stowers through its International Baccalaureate and Mandarin dual language immersion programs. My Board colleagues asked about leveraging Whitney by admitting some out-of-district students and encouraging those families to attend our middle and elementary schools as a prerequisite to admission. I heard calls for more outreach and advertising, which will be honored in our next agenda.  I heard calls for an in-depth LCAP study session (how we spend our education dollars), and we will have one to deepen our academic understanding. I heard a board member ask to bring back the School Consolidation & Reconfiguration action item from the June 17, 2025 meeting, and I honor that request.  As a reminder, the action item in June by SchoolWorks recommended consolidating Aloha ( about 260 students), Juarez (about 295 students), and Furgeson (about 297 students); moving 6th grade to middle school to stabilize enrollment and programming; consolidating Stowers as a result of that 6th-grade shift; and expanding Whitney to serve 6th-grade students. The full criteria SchoolWorks used is posted on our website.

Some have asked whether this plan disproportionately affects our most vulnerable families. Districtwide, approximately 60% of students are low-income, and about 20% of the students touched by the proposal are low-income. Others note that consolidation alone won’t solve every challenge. That is true. Consolidation is part of a multi-pronged and comprehensive strategy to improve our district that began years ago.  To stop now risks accelerating enrollment loss and spreading limited resources thinner across too many campuses.

Our charge is to adapt to the challenges that impact student achievement. We do this with a prudent, transparent, and empathetic approach. We need your continued input to make the best decisions for all of the students we serve. I am confident that, together, our community and Board can meet this moment and build a stronger tomorrow for every child we serve.

Mr. Ernie Nishii serves as the President of the ABC Unified School District Board of Education.