Following the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD) school board’s decision to keep all existing middle school campuses open, parents and faculty are working to increase interest in the smaller schools and boost enrollment for the coming school year.
On Feb. 12, the board voted to maintain the established middle school system after reviewing study data and community feedback.
This system consists of a larger comprehensive school, Ralston Middle School, and two smaller campuses that host a TK and K-8 program, Sandpiper Middle School and Nesbit Middle School. The board decided to follow this plan for at least the next three school years and will continue to monitor district enrollment data. The closures discussed in the initial plan have been taken off the table indefinitely.
According to parents, many families in the district appreciate that the board prioritized middle school choice for students and families.
“I think it’s really good for the district to have choices,” said Manique Bloom, a Sandpiper parent. “The three schools are very different, and I think it’s wonderful that we live in a district where you can pick and choose between the programs that work for your kid.”
Some believe the board could have spent more time discussing with the community and been more transparent about what this decision means for the district.
“I was relieved to see that we still have the opportunity to list our rank order for middle schools rather than having a forced assignment model,” said Ruth Jones*, parent of a BRSSD elementary school student. “However, I believe the board would have been better served by following Superintendent Dan Deguara’s recommendation to close one of the smaller schools.”
According to the San Mateo Daily Journal, the district has seen an 8.6% decrease in enrollment over the past decade and estimates a decline of 290 students in the next six years. Jones cited possible financial implications for the district, as she felt they were not “meaningfully addressed” during board meetings leading up to the decision.
The BRSSD school board also requested the formation of a District Advisory Committee, comprising both parents and staff, to conduct outreach on the small-school programs. Nesbit and Sandpiper parents, like Bloom, are working closely with faculty on new initiatives to advertise all that their schools have to offer in hopes of increasing enrollment.
“We are doing whatever we can to promote our school because this is a good school, and we hope more people can recognize that because we see our kids happy in this school,” said Hongliang Li, a Sandpiper parent.
Both smaller campuses have hosted informational nights over the past few weeks, aiming to reach as many members of the community as possible. They are also offering campus tours for interested parents, elementary school visits from faculty, and shadow days for students.
Overall, the smaller school communities are taking the opportunity to promote their school to new families in stride.
“It’s been really great to reach out to people in the district that we don’t normally see; we don’t normally go to Cipriani and Central, and it’s great to see those students coming to shadow with us,” said Stephanie Scala, the assistant principal at Sandpiper.
*This source’s name has been changed to protect their privacy in accordance with Carlmont Media’s Scot Scoop Anonymous Sourcing Policy.
**This article was edited on March 24 to provide clarification from an earlier version.
