Up to 9 San Jose Unified elementary schools could close. Here are the options

San Jose Unified School District released a list of up to nine elementary schools that could be closed or consolidated next year in an effort to tackle years of declining student enrollment and budget constraints.

The list comes as San Jose Unified has seen a 20% decline in student enrollment since before the pandemic — a loss of roughly 6,000 students, the district’s superintendent Nancy Albarrán said in a letter to the community this week.

“I recognize that seeing a school’s name included in discussion about consolidation, attendance boundary changes, or relocation is deeply emotional,” Albarrán said in the letter. “We know families love their current schools.

“At the same time, we know that thoughtful school portfolio changes can help ensure strong, sustainable programs for both current and future students throughout the district, continuing our long-standing legacy of tackling challenges with a focus on what is best for our students.”

The list of schools potentially facing closure or consolidation is part of the district’s “Schools of Tomorrow” initiative. Started in September 2025, the plan focuses on evaluating the district’s current elementary schools — including their total enrollment, staffing, school climate, programs and instruction — to determine which schools to close or consolidate.

San Jose Unified said nearly half of the district’s 26 elementary schools serve fewer than 350 students, with the smallest elementary school serving 200 students and the largest serving more than 800 students.

The Schools of Tomorrow Implementation Committee presented three potential options at a meeting earlier this week. The committee will spend the next month discussing the options and any changes, before presenting a finalized recommendation to the district’s school board no later than March 12.

Albarrán emphasized in her letter to the community earlier this week that the three proposed options are a “starting point” and no final decisions have been made.

Option 1: Closes nine elementary schools, relocates one

• Almaden Elementary
• Anne Darling Elementary
• Canoas Elementary
• Gardner Elementary
• Lowell Elementary
• Rachel Carson Elementary
• Selma Olinder Elementary
• Simonds Elementary
• Walter L. Bachrodt Elementary
• Relocates Hammer Montessori at Ernesto Galarza Elementary to Rachel Carson Elementary

Option 2: Closes nine elementary schools

• Empire Gardens Elementary
• Gardner Elementary
• Lowell Elementary
• Rachel Carson Elementary
• Reed Elementary
• Selma Olinder Elementary
• Terrell Elementary
• Walter L. Bachrodt Elementary
• Williams Elementary

Option 3: Closes eight elementary schools

• Almaden Elementary
• Empire Gardens Elementary
• Ernesto Galarza Elementary
• Gardner Elementary
• Grant Elementary
• Rachel Carson Elementary
• Reed Elementary
• Williams Elementary

The district created a school locator for parents and families to see which elementary school a student would be assigned to under all three options. If a school closes, the district said two options are possible: the students at the closing school would all move to the same school for the 2026-27 school year or would be split to new schools depending on new attendance boundaries.

The district also said if schools are closed, impacted students will have the option to request a transfer to another San José Unified elementary school and will be given priority in the assignment process. The district said affected students will also be provided no-cost access to the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program — which provides three hours of afterschool extracurricular activities at their new school — and bus transportation will be provided for students who live more than 1.5 miles from their new campus.

San Jose Unified said any elementary school picked to close will receive twice their usual funding to support the transition for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year, while schools that will receive new students for the 2026-27 school year will receive twice their usual funding to support integration.

Elementary schools picked to receive new students will also host open houses and receive priority for campus facility improvement projects.

The next Schools of Tomorrow Implementation Committee meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the district office located at 855 Lenzen Ave.