Monrovia trustee says superintendent recommended closing Santa Fe Middle; board will decide Dec. 17
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Monrovia — School Board Trustee Michael Locone said the superintendent has recommended closing Santa Fe Middle School and consolidating students at Clifton Middle School as the district confronts a roughly $6.2 million shortfall identified by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. The board is scheduled to consider the recommendation in open session on Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m.
The proposal grew out of fiscal directives from LACOE, Locone said, and earlier steps that included a first phase of cuts and about 43 full-time layoffs. "In June 2024, LA County Office of Education ... put forth a mandate in front of MUSD, which was that we need to get our budget in order, to the tune of $6,200,000 in budget cuts," Locone said. He added the district received about 853 responses to its October consolidation survey across social channels and district outlets.
The superintendent’s recommendation, issued in November, is grounded in a facilities comparison, Locone said: which campus can best host roughly 700 consolidated students, taking into account classroom counts, campus size, gym and auditorium availability, restrooms, shading and parking. "The recommendation was to shut down Santa Fe and to, consolidate at Clifton Middle School," Locone said.
Locone stressed that no final decision has been made and that the board’s role is to render a collective decision at the Dec. 17 meeting. If the board approves the recommendation, Superintendent Harte (as named in the transcript) and her cabinet would lead a transition process over the following months to arrange class assignments, contracts with the teachers’ association, transportation and after-school programming so the district is prepared for the next school year.
Locone told listeners he personally does not support the recommendation as it currently stands. "I am not in support of this recommendation," he said, citing unresolved concerns about how consolidation would affect Santa Fe students and how it would be perceived in southern Monrovia. He urged residents to participate in the process beyond social-media reactions, calling for structural engagement such as parent committees and town-hall-style events.
On property questions, Locone said district campuses are owned by the school district and that, as he understands it, the district has no present intention to sell campuses to developers. He said state law limits the sale of district property — properties typically must first be offered for public use — making sales to private developers more difficult.
Locone encouraged parents, caregivers and staff who want to engage to contact him (his contact information is listed on the district website) and said he will try to help arrange follow-up conversations with district leaders. The board meeting to discuss the superintendent's recommendation is Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m.; Locone said the district will provide more details after that meeting.
Note: Quotations and paraphrased details come from a Dec. 10 interview with Trustee Michael Locone.
The proposal grew out of fiscal directives from LACOE, Locone said, and earlier steps that included a first phase of cuts and about 43 full-time layoffs. "In June 2024, LA County Office of Education ... put forth a mandate in front of MUSD, which was that we need to get our budget in order, to the tune of $6,200,000 in budget cuts," Locone said. He added the district received about 853 responses to its October consolidation survey across social channels and district outlets.
The superintendent’s recommendation, issued in November, is grounded in a facilities comparison, Locone said: which campus can best host roughly 700 consolidated students, taking into account classroom counts, campus size, gym and auditorium availability, restrooms, shading and parking. "The recommendation was to shut down Santa Fe and to, consolidate at Clifton Middle School," Locone said.
Locone stressed that no final decision has been made and that the board’s role is to render a collective decision at the Dec. 17 meeting. If the board approves the recommendation, Superintendent Harte (as named in the transcript) and her cabinet would lead a transition process over the following months to arrange class assignments, contracts with the teachers’ association, transportation and after-school programming so the district is prepared for the next school year.
Locone told listeners he personally does not support the recommendation as it currently stands. "I am not in support of this recommendation," he said, citing unresolved concerns about how consolidation would affect Santa Fe students and how it would be perceived in southern Monrovia. He urged residents to participate in the process beyond social-media reactions, calling for structural engagement such as parent committees and town-hall-style events.
On property questions, Locone said district campuses are owned by the school district and that, as he understands it, the district has no present intention to sell campuses to developers. He said state law limits the sale of district property — properties typically must first be offered for public use — making sales to private developers more difficult.
Locone encouraged parents, caregivers and staff who want to engage to contact him (his contact information is listed on the district website) and said he will try to help arrange follow-up conversations with district leaders. The board meeting to discuss the superintendent's recommendation is Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m.; Locone said the district will provide more details after that meeting.
Note: Quotations and paraphrased details come from a Dec. 10 interview with Trustee Michael Locone.
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