Having to continue to trim $20 million from its budget, the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Education voted last night to close Monroe Middle School, a K-8 school in Lakewood while eliminating 6th, 7th and 8th grades at Burcham K-8 in Long Beach, a move that will save the district about $3.5 million.
Opened in 1953, Monroe has been declining in enrollment as has Burcham, which opened in 1950. Both schools reflect an overall district-wide drop in enrollment, which as seen 16,000 students less than its peak in 2002. Enrollment is key to funding, which student populace often determines access to funds.
Even further, according to LBUSD, only a quarter of Monroe’s 655 students live within the school neighborhood, while at Burcham, almost a third of those in grades six through eight live within the school neighborhood. Given the district’s plan to eliminate the remaining K-8 transportation services, this made the board’s decision less difficult to make.
Meanwhile, the consolidation efforts to absorb these school-less children is underway. Similar to 2008, when Tucker Elementary merged with MacArthur, and Keller’s accommodation of Newcomb students while their campus is being rebuilt, parent meetings are being held to discuss consolidation efforts.