SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- The San Jose Unified School District may close some of its elementary schools due to a significant drop in enrollment, which has decreased by about 20% over the past seven years. Dublin residents oppose ICE detention center at former prison site The district's enrollment d ecline is markedly higher than trends seen statewide. In 2008, the district served approximately 10,000 more students than it does today, while maintaining the same number of elementary schools. This has led district officials to form a committee called "Schools of Tomorrow" to explore potential solutions. Photo: KRON4 News. President Renata Sanchez of the San Jose Unified Teachers' Union, highlighted the severity of the situation, saying, "We have 10K less students than when I started...but the same number of elementary schools." She noted that some elementary schools currently operate with only one class per grade level, which is unsustainable for maintaining quality education. Sanchez expressed concern about equity in education opportunities for students across different neighborhoods, stating, "Making sure every student enrolled in SJUSD has the same opportunities whether here in downtown or in Southside. Do you think they have the same opportunities now? No, not at all." The upcoming "Schools of Tomorrow" committee aims to address these issues by discussing potential mergers of struggling schools. During their first meeting, specific schools that could be affected were not listed, but Sanchez emphasized that the current situation cannot continue unaddressed, noting, "If a school gets so small they cannot sustain even a class per grade level, that is one of the biggest problems." Parent Michael Melillo shared his views on the situation, stating, "It's unfortunate but also the reality we're facing right now," referencing the impact on families with children in the district. The committee is expected to provide recommendations on potential school mergers within four months. Public comment is encouraged at the district meetings, with the next meeting scheduled for Jan. 12. Watch the full report from KRON4's Jack Molmud in the video player above. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published. ...read more read less