A proposal to relocate roughly 200 students attending Duncan Holbert School to three other elementary school campuses—and move Renaissance High School to that site—was delayed Wednesday after dozens of parents, students and staff implored the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees to reconsider the plan.
Duncan Holbert Preschool serves children ages 0-5 with disabilities and developmental needs. District officials have identified Ann Soldo, H.A. Hyde, Landmark and Ohlone elementary schools as possible relocation sites.
A major factor driving the proposal to move Renaissance there is infrastructure concerns at the current campus, where administrators cited elevated chromium-6 contamination in the water supply and an estimated cost of more than $3 million to connect the site to the water district. District officials said mitigation work could take about two years.
In addition, transportation to and from the school in rural La Selva Beach costs roughly $250,000 annually and requires many students to spend hours each day on the bus, said Director of Student Support Services Peggy Pughe.
That contributes to the school’s 77% attendance rate and makes it difficult for students to access services such as career technical education, Pughe said.
“Simply put, the current site is a barrier to their success,” she said.
But dozens of parents and staff at Duncan Holbert told the Trustees that the school provides a supportive community for their children, and that moving them would be traumatic. Hundreds have signed a petition opposing the plan. See bit.ly/4dplClu.
Jessica Ortiz, the parent of a special-needs student, said through a Spanish interpreter that the school provides an inclusive environment not found elsewhere.
“My son really learned here,” Ortiz said. “He couldn’t talk before, and he learned to speak not only one language but two. These children are the future of our community, so please reconsider your decision.”
Sarah Henne, whose daughter Ellie has Down syndrome, described the school as a “central hub” with adaptive equipment, wraparound support and staff members who ensure families are “informed, involved and never alone.”
“That is so important while we learn to navigate the world of special services, which is not easy,” Henne said.
“To date, this has been the single greatest educational experience we have had since she was born,” she said. “The plan to scatter our most vulnerable students to general education sites that are simply not equipped to serve them is a bad idea.”
David Martinez, who said his daughter Allison is on the autism spectrum and has a speech delay, said sending her to a different school would be “traumatizing.”
“I can’t thank the teachers enough for the time and patience they have for Allison and the rest of their students to make sure they thrive,” he said.
Special Services Director Heather Gorman pointed to studies showing students with disabilities can thrive while learning alongside their peers.
Many California districts, Gorman said, have implemented successful inclusion models that provide speech therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral support services without separating special-needs students from their peers.
“This isn’t about reducing services,” she said. “It’s about expanding opportunities.”
Trustee Daniel Dodge Jr. said he met with school staff, teachers and parents before the meeting and realized Duncan Holbert is “not just a school.”
“We need to be listening to the people who work directly with these students every single day,” Dodge said. “We need to be listening to these teachers and support staff who understand firsthand what these students need to succeed.”
Trustee Misty Navarro said services for special-needs students should remain centralized as they are at Duncan Holbert. She also expressed concern that the school’s newly built inclusive playground would likely be lost.
“The fact that you can’t move that $400,000 big, beautiful playground is a huge issue to me,” she said.
Trustee Gabe Medina said his nonverbal godchild thrived at the school.
“It wasn’t until they got to Duncan Holbert that his parents realized Jacob is going to be just fine,” Medina said.
“I don’t want those kids to experience losing an environment specifically conducive to their learning,” he said. “To take that away is just horrible.”
The discussion came as the newly formed Sustainable Schools Advisory Committee — a group of 23 parents, staff and community members tasked with determining whether schools should be closed as the district faces years of declining enrollment — begins its work.
Medina asked district staff to delay a decision on relocating Duncan Holbert until the committee completes its findings and potentially identifies an alternative site for Renaissance.
Board President Carol Turley agreed.
“I wonder about the viability of the current Renaissance campus, but let’s let the Sustainable Schools Advisory Committee drill down on that,” she said. “As we look at schools that could potentially be closed, maybe one of those would be a better location for Renaissance.”
In other action, the board approved a $234,270 contract for a newly created deputy superintendent position that district officials said replaces the assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and professional development role and consolidates oversight of curriculum, instruction, human resources and finance under a single cabinet-level administrator.
The deputy superintendent would serve as the superintendent’s primary adviser and act as chief executive in her absence.
The contract for Mark Herbst will run through June 2029. He currently serves as associate superintendent of student support services for Modesto City Schools.
The position and contract were approved 5-2, with trustees Dodge and Medina dissenting.
