San Jose Unified votes to close 5 elementary schools

The district says the closures will impact hundreds of students due to declining enrollment.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 5:19am

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The San Jose Unified Board of Education has voted to close five elementary schools - Empire Gardens, Canoas, Gardner, Lowell, and Terrell - affecting hundreds of students. The district says the schools have seen declining enrollment, leading to the decision to consolidate students at other nearby campuses.

Why it matters

School closures are always a sensitive issue, as they can disrupt communities and student learning. However, declining enrollment is a common challenge for many urban school districts, forcing difficult decisions about how to best allocate resources.

The details

Students from the closed schools will be transferred to nearby campuses, with Empire Gardens students going to Anne Darling, Canoas students to Ernesto Galarza, Gardner students to Horace Mann, Lowell's Special Day Class students to Grant and all others to Washington, and Terrell's Special Day Class students to Reed with remaining students going to Rachel Carson.

  • The San Jose Unified Board of Education voted on the school closures on Thursday, March 27, 2026.

The players

San Jose Unified School District

The public school district serving the city of San Jose, California.

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The takeaway

While school closures are always difficult, declining enrollment is a reality many urban districts face. San Jose Unified is attempting to consolidate resources and students to maintain educational quality across the district.