MILLBROOK, June 3 — The Millbrook Unified School District's Board of Education voted 5–2 late Tuesday night to close Eastridge Elementary School, ending 61 years of operation at the Caldwell Drive campus and affecting approximately 340 students who will be redistributed to nearby Pineview and Lakewood elementaries beginning in the fall. The vote, which came after nearly four hours of public testimony, was met with tears and shouts from a packed boardroom. Board President Sandra Okafor said the decision was "one of the most difficult the board has faced in a generation" but called it "fiscally unavoidable."
Why the Board Says It Had No Choice
District Superintendent Gerald Fitch presented data showing Eastridge enrollment has dropped from 510 students in 2017 to 338 this year, leaving the building operating at 56% capacity. Combined with deferred maintenance costs projected at $1.7 million over the next three years and the district's broader $2.1 million budget gap, administrators argued consolidation was the only responsible path. The two dissenting votes — from board members Yolanda Cruz and Patrick Sims — cited concerns about the disproportionate impact on the Eastside neighborhood, where Eastridge serves a high percentage of low-income and English-language-learner families.
- Eastridge Elementary, opened 1963, currently enrolls 338 students
- Affected students will be assigned to Pineview Elementary or Lakewood Elementary
- Transportation will be provided at no cost to all displaced students
- The school building's future use has not been determined
Parent groups have already announced plans to appeal the decision to the state Board of Education and are exploring legal options. "This isn't over," said Rosa Mendenhall, co-chair of the Eastridge Parent Coalition, outside the boardroom following the vote. "They made this decision without truly hearing this community, and we intend to make sure the state hears us instead." The Courier will continue to follow this story as it develops.
