Alum Rock Unified School District’s superintendent, German Cerda, is expected to present a list of suggested school closures on Thursday in an effort to address a nearly $20 million budget shortfall in San Jose.

If the proposed seven schools close next fall, it will affect where many students attend school and alter how families arrange transportation.

The schools on Cerda’s list include Aptitud Academy, Donald Meyer Elementary, Horace Cureton Elementary, Joseph George Middle School, Lyndale Elementary, Renaissance Academy at Fischer, and Sylvia Cassell Elementary, with some schools also being considered for consolidation.

Cerda may propose turning one of the middle schools into a combined TK-8 school.

The closure plan has faced significant opposition from parents since its announcement. However, Cerda emphasizes that public resistance does not change the district’s current reality of having nearly 3,000 fewer students than a decade ago, which has contributed to the financial crisis.

“You can reprogram, you can cut as many district positions as possible, and you are not gonna get nowhere near the $20 million deficit that we are in. And it’s $20 million per year,” Cerda noted.

Once the superintendent makes his recommendation, the board may vote immediately. If a decision is delayed until December, staff and teachers would be informed of the closures in January.