The Franklin-McKinley School District board in East San Jose voted Tuesday night to close three schools due to declining enrollment.

In a 3-2 decision, the board approved the closure of the following schools at the end of the academic year:

• McKinley Elementary School
• Los Arboles Elementary School
• Ramblewood Elementary School

We spoke with board member Rudy Rodriguez, who opposed the decision.

“I don’t think we should be disrupting these neighborhoods and forcing children to attend schools elsewhere,” he said. “These students love their schools and walk to them. Many families in these areas don’t have cars to drive their children to school.”

The district is grappling with a significant budget deficit and has seen a 40% drop in student enrollment over the past 14 years.

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