School staff, parents rally against Hayward school closures

HAYWARD, Calif. (KRON) - The Hayward Unified School District Board of Education is set to vote on closures Wednesday night but there is push back from district staff, educators, parents, and students.

That meeting is being held via Zoom but earlier, a group gathered out here before the meeting calling for a pause on school closures.

Teachers, staff, parents, and students of the Hayward Unified School District marched to the district's office Wednesday urging the board of education to reconsider closing schools.

The district is proposing school closures and relocations due to declining enrollment and a budget shortfall.

Deisy Bates, a teachers' union president, is hoping the board will put a pause on plans.

"Perhaps some closures may happen but what we want is to preserve our small schools,” Bates said. 

In the special school board meeting, the district's superintendent says the number of school closures was minimized.

"We shifted from having six school closures in 2022 to 2023 to only two school closures next year and limiting our preschool moves to SIAC and Hub programs, putting them in our school sites. We reduced the number of schools from eight to four and the number of property closures from 10 to eight,” Dr. Matt Wayne said.

Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne also says the board tried to minimize the impact on South Hayward by having two elementary school closures instead of three.

The closure of three elementary year-round schools went down to one. Students from five schools will be going to 21 schools.

Back at the rally, Bates adds community schools are needed and says money from federal and state funding can help the situation.

"It is important because they are wrap-around services, it's a one-stop place where families can get the support they need, they can get health services, they can get social, emotional support for them and for their children,” Bates said.

Carla Schick, a retired Hayward teacher, agrees.

"The students deserve the schools in their communities with the support for the parents for having strong educational equity in our schools,” Schick said.

As of 10 p.m., the board is still in deliberations.

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