(KRON) -- The Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) Board of Education voted at a meeting Wednesday evening to close three elementary schools at the end of the 2025-2026 school year and make $32 million in reductions to help balance the district's budget. The Board moved to close Highland, L incoln, and Pennycook Elementary Schools. "The district will work closely with families and staff to provide transition support," said the VCUSD Board of Education in a news release. "Impacted families will receive personalized outreach, information on new school options, and assistance with navigating the enrollment process." The moves are part of a multi-year plan to tackle enrollment declines faced over the past decade, financial struggles, and the need to enhance school facilities. The VCUSD Board of Education also said that several campuses are dealing with unused space that is "more than 50 percent districtwide." "To stabilize the district’s budget, trustees also approved $32 million in reductions, including $22 million in staffing cuts, to be implemented at the end of the 2025–26 school year," said the VCUSD Board of Education in a news release. "These reductions are necessary to balance the district’s budget and ensure the continued delivery of essential services to students." Board President John Fox addressed the difficulty in making the critical decisions. “No board member takes these decisions lightly," Fox said. "We carefully examined years of data, listened to our community, and weighed our responsibility to maintain stability in this district for the long term. These actions allow us to protect academic programs, keep resources where students need them most, and prevent far more severe consequences in the future. Our priority is — and will always be — the success and well-being of Vallejo students.” ...read more read less