Fresno, Calif. – As enrollment in Fresno Unified continues to fall, candidates seeking seats on the district’s Board of Education are outlining how they would address possible school closures, boundary changes, and staffing cuts. The district has lost roughly 4,000 students over the past decade and projects a similar loss in the next two years, prompting the board to consider drastic measures to balance its budget.
Enrollment trends and budget pressures
Statewide, many districts are closing schools after a decade of declining enrollment. In Fresno, four of the ten elementary schools with the lowest enrollment are in the Edison region (Area 1): Lowell, Kirk, Jefferson and Susan B. Anthony, each with fewer than 400 students. Lincoln Elementary reported the steepest drop between the 2025‑26 and 2026‑27 school years, losing 64 students.
District officials have already cut 450 positions and are forming a working group to guide community conversations about enrollment decline, boundary adjustments, and school closures. The board expects up to three new members in the upcoming election, which could shift the direction of any closure plan.
Candidate positions
Miguel Arias, a sitting Fresno City Councilmember, opposes any neighborhood school closures. He blames “financial mismanagement” and proposes directing bond funds toward facility repairs, expanding specialty programs to attract families, and eliminating excess district offices before cutting schools. Arias warned that without intervention, “the community will face closure of neighborhood schools.”
Daren Miller, a former K‑12 administrator now serving as a substitute vice principal, acknowledges that closures would be painful but sees an opportunity to restructure schools into traditional grade bands—elementary (grades 1‑5) and middle (grades 6‑8). He suggested creating transitional‑kindergarten‑through‑second‑grade sites to focus on early childhood education and reduce class sizes to 21‑25 students, arguing that “closing schools…provides an opportunity for long‑term success.”
Deshunna Ricks, adjunct instructor at Fresno Pacific University and CEO of I AM Valuable, says closures should be a last resort. She urges a thorough budget review to align spending with student outcomes, cutting programs that lack results and eliminating unnecessary central‑office staff. Ricks also called for maximum transparency if closures are considered.
Riley Talford, supervising juvenile correctional officer and SEIU 521 chapter president, stresses that any closure decision must be based on rigorous analysis. He recommends evaluating whether a school’s enrollment has fallen below 30 % of its design capacity, assessing transportation and safety impacts, and considering new schools to serve displaced families.
Mirna García, a local realtor involved in housing initiatives, emphasizes listening to families, expanding popular programs, improving academic outcomes, and creating safe campuses to rebuild trust and attract residents back to the district.
Genoveva Islas, current president of the FUSD board of trustees, opposes closures and has previously called for scrutinizing district investments, especially in charter schools and their renewals.
Two candidates, Bellard and Davis, did not respond to requests for comment, and their campaign materials do not address school‑closure policy.
Enrollment highlights
The district’s enrollment data shows mixed results. Herrera Elementary in the Sunnyside region added 23 students, while Ewing Elementary lost 63 students last year. Herrera now serves 665 students; Ewing, 783. In the McLane region, Pyle and Heaton Elementary each lost over 90 students, leaving them with 587 and 469 students respectively.
What’s next?
The upcoming board election will determine which of these perspectives shape Fresno Unified’s response to declining enrollment and budget shortfalls. Voters are encouraged to review each candidate’s platform, attend community forums, and consider how proposed solutions align with the district’s mission to provide quality education while preserving neighborhood schools.
Original reporting: Fresnoland — read the source article.
