Trustees for the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) advanced an investigation into declining enrollment, unanimously voting to create a committee focused on student demographics.

Trustees unanimously authorized a boundaries committee on Sept. 22 to determine how the district fends off an almost 800-seat vacancy. The committee will consist of community stakeholders, district staff, a demographer and an independent facilitator— a new addition to the committee since it adjourned in 2019.

The district fails to retain students whom it rejects from school choice programs, particularly at Millikin Basics+ Elementary. Of the five specialized programs at SCUSD, Millikin’s traditional education program attracts the highest number of students from other schools within the district. But it also repels the most; SCUSD lost 158 students after they failed to get into Millikin for the current academic year. Administrators don’t track where they go.

Millikin parent Ravi Lekhwami said during the trustees meeting, “There’s a lot of people who are essentially pushed out.”

Parents must enroll children in their neighborhood school to enter the choice program lottery. Several said they only apply to win their lottery choice, and rejected students relocate to private schools or neighboring school districts.  

Almost 100 parents attended Tuesday’s meeting, spilling out of the boardroom and into the district office lobby. The majority represented students from Millikin.

“Why are these choice schools being targeted?” asked Millikin parent Amarinder Singh. “And why are our kids about to suffer?”

Trustees faced high emotions from parents who believed the board would ax the choice school system to prevent the outflow of students — a claim the district has repeatedly rejected. The board has yet to propose a solution for low enrollment.

District data shows that choice programs have a high concentration of affluent families, in contrast to the district’s neighborhood schools. Economically challenged families, for instance, make up less than 3% of students enrolled in the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute. Yet these families total more than a third of the district’s overall population.

The boundaries committee seeks to understand these disparities.

“When we have economic segregation in our choice schools, it’s a problem,” Trustee Vickie Fairchild said.

Many parents argued to expand the choice programs to other schools, citing the recognition these programs receive. Some trustees responded that at smaller schools, students may enter the classroom at different education levels than those at choice schools.

There are six schools in SCUSD that are federally classified as Title I schools. Title I campuses primarily serve low-income families. They receive government money to meet district-wide curriculum requirements. Their success is measured by more than just test scores, including student wellness assessments.

“It’s very easy to cavalierly say, ‘We’ll just close those schools because they’re small,’” Board President Bonnie Lieberman said. “That’s all well and good, until you remember the people that are going to fall through that safety net. I don’t want us to lose sight of that because those are the people who aren’t in this room tonight.”

The SCUSD Board of Trustees will receive a staff presentation on the open enrollment policy at its special meeting on Oct. 1.

Chris Ramirez is a California Local News Fellow.