NOT FOUND: 1101-january-nsn-final-new_Page_01_Image_0020.jpgThe December 1, 2010 meeting of the Twin Rivers Unified School District (TRUSD) board of trustees brought in a 5-2 vote in favor of closing Larchmont Elementary School by June 2011. This decision was reached following several meetings of the TRUSD board and community advisory boards. In February 2010, the TRUSD board voted to close a total of four schools by June 2011 and two additional schools by June 2012.
A spokesperson for TRUSD stated that the primary reason for the school closure was that $100M of state funding was lost, and that by closing this school $450,000 per year will be saved. The state education budget – that the school district says in the worst in 60 years, the continued effort to strengthen the unified school district, declining enrollment with students transferring to charter schools or other school districts and the desire to conserve resources and solve the problem of under-utilized facilities are all factors that played a part in the decision. The original recommendation that put Larchmont Elementary on the list for possible closure came via the decision of an advisory group that is made up of all of the principals from schools in the North Highlands community, as well as other local school staff members and parents of the students that attend these schools.
“It’s always sad when we have to do something like closing schools”, said Trinette Marquis, Director of Communications for TRUSD. She also said that everyone involved with the final decision was selfless and did a good job working together to reach a decision that was not an easy one to make.
TRUSD operates in an open enrollment environment. This gives parents the opportunity to choose from two or three schools in the district when deciding where to send their children. TRUSD will be meeting on January 10, 2011 that parents of the students that currently attend Larchmont Elementary are invited to attend. This meeting will outline the schools that are options for their children. Then from 1/18 – 24/11, the open enrollment process will be open, and parents at that time will be asked to make their decision as to which school they prefer.
Prior to the 2010/11 school year beginning, Rio Linda Elementary and Aero Haven Elementary were both closed; and of the 53 schools in the TRUSD 20 have already been realigned and/or consolidated. The realigned schools have changed their structure, such as changing from a Junior High to housing fifth through eighth grades. Several area schools have also become K- 8th grade campuses.