Families fight to save Ocean Shore School as district faces budget deficit
Ocean Shore School has been in the community for more than 50 years but now, the future of the K-8 school is uncertain.
"I was absolutely blindsided," Debbie Enriquez, a parent, told CBS News Bay Area.
Enriquez has two children who attend Ocean Shore.
"This school has seen not only other families but my family go through several hard times. There are a number of parents who not only look out for their children but for my kids," Enriquez said.
The Pacifica School District said they have a $3.5 million structural budget deficit due to factors like declining enrollment and rising program costs. Just last week, leaders announced a new proposal that would essentially shut down Ocean Shore and relocate all of their students to Sunset Ridge Elementary or Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School.
"There's been no brainstorm, it's like, this is it. 'We don't really care what you think about it.' Instead of like a lot of districts when they go to close a school, they have inputs from the community, how will it affect the community?" Sheila Gamble-Dorn, the coordinator of the school's award-winning Oceans411 program, told CBS News Bay Area.
"Middle school kids, they become the teachers. They go to the beach, every class goes to the beach. They run the educational activities there and educational activities in the classroom," she said.
Gamble-Dorn is also a recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award for her dedication to fostering education in the Pacifica community. She taught at Ocean Shore for 20 years. Her daughters graduated from the school, and now her granddaughter attends there.
The Charles A. Becker Foundation also donates $15,000 every year to make Oceans411 more accessible to students beyond the Ocean Shore community.
Students like Spencer MacDougall said he and his siblings don't want to part ways from the program.
"I learned a lot with my friends, they let you do group projects and specifically Oceans411. You can group up with your friends and teach, younger kids the things that you know. And it's just everyone gets a good learning experience out of here," MacDougall said.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to the school district for comment and got this statement from Elizabeth Bredall, the president of the Pacifica School District Board of Trustees.
"Like many school districts in California that are funded by Sacramento, our district has been forced to make adjustments to our budget in order to ensure that we stay financially healthy. As a result of Sacramento's lack of financial support, California school districts continue being forced to do more with less in an effort to protect the classroom experience for our students and families. Like those that are upset, I too am upset and encourage California families to demand more funding from the Legislature, and the Governor, as it is an embarrassment that the fifth largest economy in the world can not properly finance public education."
But now with everything in jeopardy, Ocean Shore families are using their voices to rally.
"We're doing what we do best at Ocean Shore, we're pulling together, we're helping each other out. And we'll figure this out," Enriquez said.
The school district's governing board will be meeting Wednesday evening. Families at Ocean Shore said they will be holding another rally across the street from the district meeting at 4 p.m.