At the September 2, 2025, Board of Education Special Study Session, community members asked a wide range of questions about potential school consolidation and reconfiguration. Below are the questions collected, along with answers from District staff.
Many of the questions focus on what could happen if the Board votes to approve a consolidation and reconfiguration plan. It is important to note that no changes can move forward until the Board takes action. If the Board approves a plan at its September 16, 2025 meeting, the District will share additional details with families and staff.
As a reminder, the Board of Education will consider school consolidation and reconfiguration on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the ABCUSD District Office Board Room (16700 Norwalk Boulevard, Cerritos, CA 90703). The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube (search ABCUSD Board Meeting Live).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABCUSD Potential School Consolidation & Reconfiguration
The following questions were gathered during and after the ABCUSD Board of Education Special Study Session held on September 2, 2025.
ENROLLMENT
What is the District’s current enrollment, and how is it trending?
As presented at the September 2, 2025, Board Special Study Session, the District’s current enrollment is 17,196, which is down 356 students from the 2024-2025 school year. The District’s enrollment was down more than 500 students in the 2024-2025 school year, and down over 3,000 from the 2018-2019 school year, which was at 20,299.
Is the District considering offering a virtual option to entice home-schooled students to enroll?
No, the District is not considering offering a virtual option at this time.
The District had a virtual school option from 2021-2024. However, even with marketing and considerable resources devoted to this option, there were not enough students to maintain the school, as most parents returned students to in-person model, rather than an online schooling option. It is important to note that public virtual schools must adhere to the requirements for long-term independent studies with instructional minutes and academic plans. These guidelines may differ from those that homeschool students and families adhere to, depending if they are a private or publicly funded entity.
Does the District know how many students living within the District boundaries are homeschooled? How do we get home-school data?
In order to know how many children are homeschooled in the District boundaries, the District would need state data. California keeps track of homeschooled children primarily through the annual filing of the Private School Affidavit, where the parents establish their home as a private school, or through a family enrolling in a Private School Satellite Program, which involves enrolling the child in an existing private school that offers a homeschooling program.
Because California limits the California Department of Education's compilation and sorting of data to private schools with six or more students, families with fewer than six children may file a PSA, but their individual information is not publicly available. The data is aggregated for reporting purposes, but specific details on individual homeschooling families cannot be provided.
Has the District considered opening a charter school?
No. The Board of Education has not considered, nor asked staff to research, creating a charter school within the district. A charter school would exacerbate the impact of declining enrollment at existing ABCUSD schools.
ABC Unified chose to develop most of its schools into magnet programs with themes to provide options for students and to avoid having charter schools, which would negatively affect enrollment.
What has the District done to market its schools?
The District markets to a targeted audience within a 25-mile radius of the District through social media, online, traditional advertising, and direct mail. Our marketing efforts reached over 1.2 million people during the 2024-2025 school year. In addition, the District and our schools regularly post on social media. Last year, the District reached over 750,000 through social media.
TRANSPORTATION
Is the District considering transportation for students from consolidated schools to their new schools? Is there a minimum distance requirement?
Yes, transportation will be provided to students from consolidated schools. Currently, the District policy for regular education transportation is as follows:
- For Elementary students, if they live more than one mile from the school, they qualify for transportation.
- For Middle School students, if they live more than two miles from the school, they qualify for transportation.
- For High School students, if they live more than three miles from the school, they qualify for transportation.
What is the number of students using transportation?
Last year, the District transported approximately 710 non-special education students on a daily basis.
What is the cost to transport a student to school?
Last year, the District spent approximately $2,932,334 to transport regular education students. The increased transportation cost resulting from the consolidation of schools is substantially less than the savings derived from the consolidation of schools.
Has the District considered charging more for transportation?
The District does not charge for transportation.
In the past, the District looked to provide transportation for a fee to families. However, not enough students were using the service to make it cost-neutral.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
What are the actual projected savings from consolidating a school?
The administrative labor cost of running an elementary school is approximately $850,000. Potential savings of approximately $3.4 million once consolidation is fully implemented
What are the short and long-term costs of relocation, staff changes, transportation, and facility reconfiguration?
The actual costs will be based on the decision of the Board. We cannot make plans until the Board of Education approves a school consolidation and reconfiguration plan. Once a direction has been approved, the District will begin the process to develop a timeline and cost analysis and share more detailed plans.
Does the District have data that shows if making Stowers into a middle school is cost-effective?
If the Board makes a decision regarding the middle school configuration and a potential relocation of Whitney Middle School to Stowers, staff will research, analyze, and present the Board with options that address logistics and cost. Until that time, a full analysis of relocating Whitney to another school is premature.
CONSOLIDATION OPTIONS & FACILITIES
Has the District considered consolidating District Office or other facilities (Tracy High School, ABC Adult School, empty bungalows)?
Yes. The District will continue to look at all options regarding the consolidation of all underutilized property. All feasible options will be researched and considered by the Board.
Consolidation of the District Office facility would not bring cost savings to the District due to the need to have a location for employees to handle the hiring, payroll, purchasing, management, etc. for the District.
Education Code Sections 48430–48438 require that the District maintain Tracy High School and its separate administration. Measures may be considered regarding Tracy’s geographic location and staffing. These changes may possibly be considered in addition to school consolidation as part of a general policy direction.
The ABC Adult School has completely separate funding and separate attendance from our TK-12 schools. Even if the Adult School were to be consolidated to one campus, the District would not see a cost savings that could be used for the TK-12 programs, nor would such significantly affect academics in the surrounding schools.
Why not choose to close other schools near Stowers?
The Board may consider all options as the District continues to address declining enrollment. The Schoolworks recommendation selected Stowers to consolidate based on information it had, the law and regulations governing school consolidation, and a general rule not to close schools outside or near the outside boundaries of the district.
Will the District consider building workforce housing on any excess property?
At this time, the District has not considered building workforce housing. It may do so in the future.
Are schools that were slated for possible consolidation prohibited from purchasing supplies or furniture?
No. Schools are free to work within their budgets to purchase needed supplies and items.
Will the District consider consolidating “border” schools in the eastern portion for closure, as they are near industrial areas?
The Board makes all decisions about which schools to consolidate or merge. The SchoolWorks plan recommends not to close schools on the borders of a District as a way to maintain enrollment.
What is the District doing to accommodate the increase in TK/K capacity as we look to grow those grades?
Currently, our schools have room for the addition of TK on ABCUSD campuses.
How will school boundaries be redrawn for the schools being consolidated?
If the Board of Education approves a plan for school consolidation and reconfiguration, school boundaries for schools near those being consolidated will need to be redrawn. It is expected that the board would contract with qualified vendors to implement the consolidation.
Do the schools taking in students from consolidated schools have capacity for those students and programs?
Yes, our schools have the capacity to house additional students and programs.
If the plan passes, what will the timeline be?
A timeline will be established only if the Board of Education approves the plan to consolidate and reconfigure schools. According to the Schoolworks recommendation, the transition to 6-7-8 may take two academic years.
Will the District consider adopting a community school model for underenrolled schools?
The Board will consider all options as the District continues to address declining enrollment.
IMPACT TO STUDENT LEARNING
How will Outdoor Science Camp be impacted if 6th grade moves to middle schools?
If 6th grade moves to middle school, we will work on a plan with the elementary schools to ensure that all students have this experience prior to going to middle school.
How will the District support students moving to a new school?
The District will provide support for students and families moving to a new school from a consolidated site, including touring the new school, social-emotional support, consistent communication, and academic monitoring.
What are the impacts of lower-enrolled schools on student achievement?
Lower-enrolled schools have many impacts on student achievement, including:
- More combination classes: With fewer students at each grade level, schools often combine multiple grades into one classroom. This makes it more challenging for teachers to deliver grade-level instruction and meet the learning needs of students.
- Reduced staff and programs: Smaller schools have fewer teachers and staff members, limiting the number of academic programs, enrichment opportunities, and extracurricular activities available to students.
- Fewer specialized services: With lower enrollment, schools may struggle to provide services such as counseling, intervention programs, and targeted academic supports that help students succeed.
DATA, PROJECTIONS & ANALYSIS
Has the District analyzed recent enrollment data for all schools equally?
The District has reviewed the enrollment data for each school in the District.
How accurate are the enrollment projections made in past studies? Were they peer-reviewed?
Davis Demographics provided two demographic studies to ABCUSD. The firm has over 30 years of experience in providing data to public school districts. (Link to most recent Davis Demographics report) We are unaware if the data they use is peer-reviewed; however, the methodology by which they conducted the analysis has been generally accepted by the industry.
PROCESS
Is the Board only considering the original school consolidation and reconfiguration plan developed by SchoolWorks?
No. The Board is considering a plan presented at the June 3, 2025 meeting. The plan would consolidate Aloha, Furgeson, Juarez, and Stowers Elementary Schools, and add 6th grade to ABCUSD middle schools and Whitney High School.
Will the District consider questions asked during previous Board meetings where the issue of school consolidation and reconfiguration was considered?
Yes. District staff have included many of the questions submitted in the past within this FAQ.
Do Board of Education members plan to visit with staff and families from the potentially consolidated schools?
If the Board approves a plan to consolidate and reconfigure schools, there will be a plan for the District to communicate with and meet with all impacted schools.
EQUITY & COMMUNITY IMPACT
Has the District considered the impact that schools will have, especially in higher-needs neighborhoods?
The schools considered for consolidation in the SchoolWorks report all have students who meet the criteria for unduplicated pupils (low income, English learner, foster youth). In review of the data, 60% of District students meet the criteria for being an unduplicated pupil, and of those students, less than 20% would be directly impacted by the consolidation of schools.
TRACY HIGH SCHOOL/ABC ADULT SCHOOL
Has the District considered consolidating Tracy High School and the ABC Adult School onto an existing campus?
California Education Code Sections 48430–48438 require districts to provide continuation education programs for students aged 16–17 who are not otherwise exempt from compulsory education. The purpose of these programs is to offer an alternative, diploma-granting pathway for students who are at risk of not graduating from a traditional high school due to factors such as credit deficiencies, attendance issues, or the need for a flexible schedule to accommodate work or family obligations.
The board established BP 6184 that sets forth that ABC USD will operate a continuation high school. It would not be a cost savings as we cannot close the program.
The ABC Adult School has completely separate funding from our TK-12 schools, so even if the Adult School were to be consolidated to one campus, we would not see a cost savings that could be used for the TK-12 programs.
Why does Tracy High School have such low enrollment? Are there students from other high schools who should be attending Tracy High School?
Enrollment at Tracy High School is voluntary by law. There are more than 100 students currently attending our other high schools who qualify to attend THS and are being offered the option. However, chronic absenteeism is a factor that can be considered for an involuntary transfer to Tracy High School
STOWERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Is the District considering the 170 inter-district permit students who are coming into Stowers?
All data from the schools being considered for potential consolidation are being considered.
MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPANSION & WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL
Is the District still considering changes to Whitney High School?
Adding 6th grade to Whitney High School is the only change included in the current school consolidation and reconfiguration plan that the Board is considering.
GRADE CONFIGURATION (6TH TO MIDDLE SCHOOL) & STUDENT SUPPORTS
What are the benefits of adding 6th grade to middle schools?
There are many benefits of adding 6th grade to ABCUSD middle schools, including:
- Alignment with current California standards for Science and Mathematics (6th-8th)
Broader program offerings for electives, extracurricular activities, world languages, and Career Technical Education (CTE) programming - Labs and facilities that are specific to the needs of specialized courses for college and career readiness (CTE and Dual Enrollment)
- Availability of school counselors at middle schools to support academics, career development, college readiness, and social-emotional development.
Will the District provide social-emotional support for 6th-grade students moving to a middle school site?
If the Board approves a plan for school consolidation and reconfiguration, the District will have a robust plan to support students who will be moving to middle school.
Has the District considered the social-emotional impact of moving 6th graders to middle schools?
There are social-emotional impacts for all students as they transition from childhood to their adolescent years. Should the Board make a decision to move 6th grade to middle school, the principals, teachers, and staff who work in our middle schools will help our students and families through this adjustment. Each middle school also has a full-time Mental Health Professional on its staff to support students. There are existing structures that could be expanded to support 6th graders in their transition, which include the summer Middle School Prep program, and the Early Start Day for new students to our middle schools.
STAFFING
What will happen to current teachers, aides, and support staff from the consolidating school?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to properly adjust the work locations of our staff. If there are unique programs at schools, the District will work to move the program as a whole to a new location.
Will I have a guaranteed position in the district after consolidation?
School consolidation will not result in any permanent employees losing a job. Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, permanent employees will continue to have a position in the District.
How will reassignments be determined (seniority, credentials, grade/subject placement)?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to properly adjust the work locations of our staff.
What happens to temporary or probationary employees?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to properly adjust the work locations of our staff. Student enrollment determines the number of teachers we have in our schools, so consolidating schools does not mean that we will have fewer teachers. Temporary or probationary teachers' status will continue to be dependent on enrollment.
Will extra-duty assignments (stipends, clubs, athletics, leadership) transfer or be reopened?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to properly adjust the work locations of our staff. All processes for the use of extra-duty assignments are already delineated in the collective bargaining agreement and are only for one year at a time. If a teacher moves to a new school, they will engage in the process at that site for adjunct duties they are interested in performing.
How will classified staff positions (custodial, aides, cafeteria, clerical, transportation) be affected?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to properly adjust the work locations of our staff. No permanent employees will lose their jobs. However, they may be at a new location. For those who work in areas like Maintenance, Operations, Transportation, Facilities (MOTF), they will see changes in their routes and schedules to adjust to consolidation.
Will staff be placed together or spread across schools?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to properly adjust the work locations of our staff. If there are unique programs at schools, the District will work to move the program as a whole to a new location.
How will the District support building a unified staff culture at the new site?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to provide time for those who are moving and those who will be having new colleagues at their sites to understand the culture of both sites involved in this change and develop rapport and ideas for an updated culture that will be welcoming for all students and families.
How will professional development be handled for staff coming together from different sites?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our Employee Groups to provide time for those who are moving and those who will be having new colleagues at their sites to understand the culture of both sites involved in this change and develop rapport and ideas for an updated culture that will be welcoming for all students and families.
How will class sizes, caseloads, and workload be affected for teachers and specialists?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, there will not be changes to these items because they are already determined by the collective bargaining agreement.
Will there be clear communication about room assignments and resources before the first day?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the language in the collective bargaining agreement will be followed in regard to communication about assignments for the coming year.
Will teachers be supported with moving materials and supplies?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the language in the collective bargaining agreement will be followed in regard to moving to a new school site.
How will consolidation impact workload, planning time, and long-term responsibilities?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the language in the collective bargaining agreement will be followed. Should there be unique circumstances due to specialized equipment that needs to be moved, etc., the District will work with our site principals and Employee Groups to find solutions.
What supports will be in place for staff grieving the closure of their school?
Should the Board decide to consolidate and reconfigure District schools, the District will work with our principals and Employee Groups to develop a time for this type of activity. In addition, all employees and families are able to find additional mental health support through CareSolace.