“It’s a lot of information and a very big decision that administrators are charged with making,” Winders said.

During the session, Winders expressed his preference for consolidating Altimira and Adele Harrison Middle Schools at Altimira, the closer proximity to where most students live, among other reasons.

Trustee John Kelly said he believes consolidating the schools at Adele Harrison is the best option for several reasons.

“Adele does not need the expensive geotechnical upgrades that Altimira would,” he said. “By consolidating at Adele, which is a newer facility, we can centralize our educational services on the Broadway site, alongside Prestwood Elementary School and our high school.”

He said this will reduce the district’s footprint, leading to greater managerial efficiency and cost savings.

“Additionally, having the middle schools closer to the high school allows our community resource officer, Ed Esponda (of the Sonoma Police Department), to more effectively address student discipline issues. Consolidation at Adele also provides the opportunity to keep sixth graders at their elementary schools, a preference we heard expressed by many families.

“Finally, this plan allows us to honor our commitments on the remaining bond funds without diverting resources from previously promised projects.”

Trustee David Bell — stressing he was speaking only for himself and not the board at large — said he also advocates consolidating the schools at Adele Harrison.

“The Altimira campus is our second largest facility after the high school, with a capacity of over 800 students,” he said after the study session. “This is more capacity than we need, plus it needs many millions of dollars in upgrades, both seismic and cosmetic. Adele, on the other hand, doesn’t need many, if any, upgrades.”

Bell supports closing either Sassarini or Prestwood if the elementary schools are consolidated.

Kelly said that if an elementary school is to close, he advocates for community consolidation, where educational services are continued to be offered at each site through partnerships with Sonoma and Woodland Star charter schools.

“We’ve had success with this model in Dunbar, where the relocation of Woodland Star Charter School has resulted in increased enrollment and continued community engagement,” he said.

Kelly said Sonoma Charter School expressed a desire to move to a location where district services could be discontinued, which would allow educational services to continue at that location.

“In specific terms, my view is that Prestwood and Flowery elementary schools should not be disturbed, and the committee’s report was clear that El Verano Elementary should not be considered for closure either,” he said. “That means Sassarini Elementary is the school I would think is under consideration.”

He said based on that approach, the Sassarini site could remain an active educational facility through a partnership with Sonoma Charter School.

“This means that rather than closing the school entirely, we would transition the campus to an alternative model that remains in use for educational services, thereby minimizing disruption to the community,” Kelly said.

Landry said she is not yet ready to recommend which schools should be closed.

The Consolidation Committee also studied the possibility of establishing new classroom configurations, such as K-8 or K-6 schools.

Bell said the district should consider creating all K-6 elementary schools rather than the current K-5 and/or having a K-8 dual immersion school in a different location than the current locations: School Flowery Elementary and Adele Harrison Middle School. .

“We requested input from the district on the specific issue of K-6 versus K-5,” Bell said. “I’m interested in knowing the pros and cons.”

Kelly said he thinks adopting a K-6 model has “potential.”

“Many parents expressed that sixth graders could benefit from remaining in the elementary school environment for an additional year before moving on to middle school,” he said. “If this approach aligns with family preferences and is feasible for our district’s resources, I support exploring the K-6 configuration.

“It could address certain developmental and disciplinary concerns, providing a smoother transition for students as they progress in their education.”

Kelly said he does not support establishing K-8 schools because the model does not align with the district’s current educational structure and research indicates it may not be the best fit.

He said the consolidation process was challenging for everyone involved.

“However, I believe this is an opportunity to improve our educational programs, improve options for families, conserve resources and solidify a path for the future of our district,” Kelly said. “Our goal is to become a more unified district — not just administratively, but as a cohesive community.”

Bell noted that the school district has about $11 million in capital improvement funds and encouraged the board to use the money wisely, focusing on both current and future needs.

“Hearing the public comment at the Oct. 29 meeting, I’m afraid people don’t fully understand how dire our budget situation is, and unfortunately the only way we can even begin to fix it is by consolidating the schools,” he said. said.

Reach reporter Dan Johnson at [email protected].