Carpinteria Family School parents had their fears confirmed Tuesday night when the Carpinteria Unified School District eliminated the second- and third-grade class and shared that the school most likely will close for good after the next school year. 

The district had cut the kindergarten and first-grade class last year, which leaves the school with only a fourth- and fifth-grade class for the 2025-26 school year. 

CUSD Superintendent Diana Rigby said that with declining enrollment across the district, they need to reduce staffing to maintain the budget. The school had 45 students for the year that recently ended and is expecting 23 students in the upcoming school year, according to a recent superintendent’s report. 

“Because we have declining enrollment at all our school sites, those 45 students can be served currently at Aliso, Canalino and Summerland (schools) without incurring additional costs,” Rigby said at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

She said they would have recommended closing the school this year if it weren’t for the  fourth- and fifth-grade teacher, Lorilee Collins, who has worked at Family School for 20 years and asked the district to keep it open for one more year.

By cutting the kindergarten and first-grade class, the second- and third-grade class and two instructional assistants, the district will save $360,000. To fully fund the school with three teachers and instructional assistants would cost the district nearly $500,000, according to Rigby. 

“When you have a budget that has reserves where it should be, which is 15% to 20%, then you can afford to have options, but our budget (reserves) is below 3% right now, which is unacceptable,” Rigby said. 

She added that they don’t expect the budget reserves to increase enough over the next five years to be able to keep Carpinteria Family School going, and they’re looking at this as a long-term cost-savings measure.

School board president Jaime Diamond got tearful during Tuesday’s discussion. 

“I’m just gonna say, this sucks. It does. It super sucks,” Diamond said. “I don’t like it. I get nothing from thinking of having to do something like this.”

Diamond shared her own memories of attending a community event hosted by Carpinteria Family School and spent several minutes trying to brainstorm solutions.

However, Rigby said they don’t have a teacher to replace the second- and third-grade teacher who retired from the school this year.

Several parents, students and community members attended the meeting to share their disappointment over the grade eliminations and asked to work with the district to find a way to keep it open.

James Wilmore, 7, spoke along with his siblings, asking the board to keep the school open. Wilmore said he went to kindergarten at the Family School and had to go to a different school when the kindergarten and first-grade class was eliminated. 

“Please keep Family School for other kids to explore,” Wilmore said. “I want to go to Family School because they have family Friday, and you get to do activities with your family, teachers and all the kids in Family School.”

Jack Mohr, a Family School parent, said the closure would mean the loss of a unique learning environment.

“As a parent at CFS, it’s easy to understand why students excel at Family School,” Mohr told the school board. “The learning environment developed by CFS teachers over the past two decades emphasizes the skills and learning needs of each student. Teachers don’t just manage a split class environment out of necessity; they actively use it as an opportunity to improve learning.”

Mohr also said that families would be willing to volunteer their time to help improve enrollment and keep the school open.

Lyca Morrill, a Family School parent with two sons, was choked up as she shared her experiences with Family School. She said closing the school would lead to families leaving the district to find a similar learning environment.

“We love this choice school and are devastated by the possibility that it might no longer be available to our family and community,” Morrill said. “This school is unique and special and should be promoted and supported for our children’s education.”

With the second- and third-grade class cut, the district is recommending that incoming third-graders be placed in the same class at Canalino Elementary School, while rising fourth-graders would move into the fourth- and fifth-grade class at Family School.