In the past few years, Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) has worked towards their mission statement of addressing declining enrollment. However, as a result of the financial difficulty that VUSD is currently experiencing, the Board of Education has begun to consider the potential for school closures as early as the 2027-2028 school year. To provide direction into this process, Ventura Unified has created an Advisory Committee that plans to meet on a monthly basis with the goal of recommending what schools, if any, should be given thought for closure.
According to the VUSD website, “VUSD delayed discussions about school closures while monitoring enrollment trends, hoping post-COVID declines might stabilize. However, with new enrollments continuing to drop by approximately 300 students per year, it is time to carefully assess our current and projected student population and determine whether the number of active school sites should be adjusted.”
On Dec. 16, 2025, Brianna Garcia, Vice President of School Services of California, provided a presentation to the VUSD School Board Meeting, giving insight on how to proceed with the event of school closure(s). Garcia demonstrated guidelines to follow when evaluating each school, such as enrollment trends and the condition of the campus.
Garcia recommended that the committee should include about roughly 20 participants. She also explained that during this time, VUSD staff should hold the roles of facilitating each meeting, supporting the chair and vice chair, making sure that each individual’s opinion is heard, and also providing pertinent data to the Advisory Committee.
“The Board of Education asked staff to establish the School Closure Advisory Committee to ensure the community has the opportunity to review relevant data, engage in thoughtful and difficult discussions and provide transparent recommendations,” school board president James Forsythe said in an email interview.
Despite the school district’s effort to preserve a financially stable district, declining enrollment and rising expenses has put VUSD in financial distress. The procedure of closing school(s) is typically a “last resort” for school districts, according to Garcia, but Ventura Unified plans to be honest and reasonable with every step.
“The Board will review the same data presented to the committee and will give the committee’s recommendations careful and serious consideration,” Forsythe said.
As the district navigates through their financial difficulties and makes decisions for the future of schools, the board members promise to act with transparency and take into consideration the opinions of the community. Committee members have been selected, and the list is now available on their website.
“Ultimately, the Board will deliberate publicly, ask questions, and make final decisions based on what it believes is in the best interest of students and the long-term health of the district,” Forsythe said.
