And then there’s Orick.

The picturesque town in northern Humboldt County has a historic school with five classrooms, a gym, a vegetable garden and an expansive play field. Its current enrollment: nine. Its expenses: $118,000 per student per year, more than five times the state average.

California has dozens of school districts with enrollments under 100 and higher-than-average expenses. Most of these districts are in remote areas miles from the next nearest school. But as urban districts grapple with the threat of school closures and the inevitable backlash from families and staff, rural schools face an even more heart-wrenching scenario: close the school and decimate the town.

“Close the school? It comes up all the time,” said Orick Elementary School District Superintendent Justin Wallace. “But I’d say it’s an equity issue. We have families who can’t afford a lot, and this school provides the most consistent setting for our kids. They’re safe, they’re well fed, they’re learning.”

Most of these rural towns once had booming local economies. Logging, ranching, farming, mining and other industries employed generations of families. In the 1960s Orick had 3,000 people and nearly 300 students in its school. There were seven lumber mills, grocery stores, restaurants, churches, even a movie theater.

But as California’s economy changed and jobs in these towns vanished, many communities struggled to find a new purpose. In Orick, the lumber mills gradually closed, the National Park Service claimed much of the surrounding land and residents moved elsewhere. Now, Orick has about 300 people and an average household income that’s just under $39,000 a year — a third of the state average. According to Orick School’s accountability plan, Orick residents “experience high rates of poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, domestic violence, substance abuse, and run-ins with the criminal justice system due to limited resources and high community rates of intergenerational trauma.”

‘Terrified’ of closure

In towns like Orick, the school serves as a savior, of sorts. It’s a community hub, one of the few sources of decent-paying jobs and a symbol of hope for the future. It’s a central part of the town’s identity. The school in Orick operates as a food pantry for the community, gives away clothes to families in need, hosts Narcotics Anonymous meetings and runs a toddler playgroup. The district bought a washer and dryer so residents have a place to do laundry.

Kimberly Frick is the fifth generation in her family to attend Orick School. She remembers when the classrooms were full, students won trophies and the town was like a close-knit family. Now she’s president of the school board and fights to keep the school open. Saving the school, she said, is tantamount to saving the town.

She and Wallace scour the area to find new students for the school. Every time a new family moves to town, they visit and try to persuade them to enroll their children. Other community members chip in, as well, by fixing up homes, keeping the town clean and participating in the volunteer fire department, water district and other local services.

“I feel terrified about the possibility of the school closing. I’d hate to see it happen on my watch,” Frick said. “The facility is clean, safe, well maintained. We provide a high-quality, individualized education for each child.”

Orick, whose name originates from the language of the nearby Yurok tribe, sits in a lush valley along Redwood Creek, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Ranges. A herd of about 60 elk roam through the town and are frequent visitors to the school play field. There’s a pizza truck, a small convenience store and a newly refurbished hotel. A rodeo draws crowds every July.

But much of the town is abandoned or dilapidated. A trailer park near the school is strewn with trash and broken furniture. Many of the buildings are boarded up. There’s no gas station. The post office is only open a few hours a day.

Budget breakdown

California funds its schools based on how many students show up every day. But small districts get most of their money in grants, in order to protect them from wild fluctuations in revenue. Last year Orick received $774,000 from the state and federal governments. The school gets extra money because so many of its students have high needs: all are low-income and more than half receive special education services. Some years, numerous students are homeless or in foster care.

Most of the budget goes toward salaries. The school has four full-time staff: two teachers, an administrative assistant and Wallace’s position, which includes serving as superintendent, principal, literacy coach and special education director. A janitor, cook, counselor, special education teacher and after-school teacher all work part time. Maintaining the school buildings is expensive: heating bills can cost $1,100 a month. So is transportation, because everything is far away. When the students take swim lessons, for example, a driver transports them 30 miles south to McKinleyville. Whatever funds are left over go toward student supplies and enrichment activities like field trips.

An obvious way for the state to save money would be to merge Orick School District with its neighbor, Big Lagoon Union Elementary District, 15 miles south. But the merged district would only save money on facility costs and one superintendent’s salary, totaling less than $200,000 a year, because the new merged school would have higher expenses, such as the cost of transporting students 30 miles round-trip every day.

A merger would also alienate one of the communities, Wallace said. Both communities are highly invested in their schools and prize their independence and local control, he said.

How to close a district

In the early 20th century, California had more than 3,500 school districts, each with its own school board, superintendent and unique traditions. To save money, the state gradually winnowed the number down to the 1,000 that exist today. But there are holdouts. Sonoma County, for example, has 40 school districts, some with only a handful of students.

“It’s one of the most common questions we get: Why do we have 40 school districts?” said Eric Wittmershaus, spokesman for the Sonoma County Office of Education. “Everyone in the community agrees it’s too many. The problem is that no one wants to close their school.”

California has a lax attitude toward closing under-enrolled schools. The state lets a district’s average daily attendance slip below six before it intervenes. In those cases, the county can request a temporary waiver, in hopes that enrollment increases, or start the process of consolidating the district with one of its neighbors. But consolidation rarely happens because local officials and voters have the ultimate say.

In 2011, the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended upping the minimum district size to 100, but the recommendation was never implemented. In fact, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s current budget includes a 20% boost in funding for schools that the state deems to be “ necessary small schools,” which are elementary schools with fewer than 97 students – or high schools with fewer than 287 students – at least 10 miles from the nearest other school.

Grand juries in Santa Clara and Sonoma counties have recommended consolidating small districts to save money, but neither of those reports led to changes.

Still, some experts say that financial realities may force the issue. Enrollment is declining nearly everywhere and it might not be the best use of taxpayer money to pay for half-empty classrooms and deserted playgrounds.

“Do we need to provide a school in every community? A post office? What if that community barely exists?” said Carrie Hahnel, senior associate partner at Bellwether, an education research nonprofit. “We guarantee a free public education to every child, but do we guarantee a school in every community?”

Now and then, districts will shutter. Last year, Green Point Elementary District, deep in the Klamath mountains, consolidated with a neighboring district when its enrollment fell to three (its per-pupil spending was $108,000 a year). In Sonoma County, Kashia Elementary District, with eight students last year, is at risk of closing next year.

Schools reclaimed by nature

Enrollment in Humboldt County has been declining steadily since at least the 1990s, and isn’t expected to rebound any time soon. A century ago the county had about 100 school districts, essentially one in every mill town, but as the mills closed the districts gradually closed, too.

Some of those towns — and their schools — have been swallowed up by the redwood forests. The old logging town of Falk, for example, had a school, mill, post office, dance hall and about 400 residents. After the mill closed, the town gradually emptied out and the Sierra Pacific lumber company, which owned the land, tore down whatever buildings were left in 1979. “Aside from the rose bushes and English ivy, the town of Falk has literally disappeared,” according to the county’s visitor guide.

Michael Davies-Hughes, the county superintendent of schools, encourages small districts to plan ahead to avoid abrupt mid-year closures, which are disruptive to students, families and staff.

“We want districts to be proactive, so they have options,” Davies-Hughes said. “For some, the current model may be increasingly difficult to maintain.”

Outdoor ed and Native traditions

In Orick, older students take a bus 40 minutes every day to attend high school in McKinleyville. Wallace and Frick said it’s unrealistic to put younger children on a bus for long distances, especially in bad weather. Humboldt County has long, dark, rainy winters, with roads often blocked by fallen trees, floods or mudslides.

Besides, Frick and Wallace said, Orick School does a great job educating its students, which is reason enough to keep it open. It has an exemplary outdoor education program, with students going on regular excursions into the nearby wilderness, learning about the local flora and fauna, the seasons and forest ecosystem. They raise trout and steelhead to be released in local waterways, test water quality in the creek and watch pollywogs turn into frogs in classroom terrariums.

Wildlife is all around them. In addition to the elk, students can observe condors and falcons soaring overhead, deer and coyotes hanging around the field and even the occasional bear. Students learn to fish, camp, raft and surf.

About half the students are Native American, and the school offers a robust education in Native traditions and history. A Yurok volunteer comes regularly to teach Yurok culture through activities such collecting acorns and making mash, and extracting pine nuts from pinecones to make beads.

“I mean, come on, how many other schools are in such an incredible setting?” Frick said. “Orick is a great place to go to school.”

The post One school, nine students. CA pays over $100,000 per kid to keep small schools open appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, which serves school employees and their families, has awarded $210,500 in college scholarships to 248 students as part of its Member Education Award scholarship program for 2025, according to a news release.

Most of the 2025 winners live in California, with a few students representing other U.S. states. This year’s scholarship recipients include 158 high school seniors, 50 college freshmen and 40 college sophomores.

The program, launched in 2000, awards scholarships each year to eligible graduating high school seniors and to college freshmen and sophomores, to help cover the cost of books, tuition and other educational expenses. Scholarships are awarded based on students’ grade-point average, difficulty of courses completed, letters of recommendation, community involvement, school involvement and leadership positions, according to the news release.

All applicants must be SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union members with their own member number, must have completed no more than 60 college credits and must be registered at an accredited college or university for the upcoming fall term. Awardees can reapply each year if they continue to meet the applicant criteria.

“For more than 25 years, the Member Education Award scholarship program has honored well-rounded students who demonstrate success in the classroom while also contributing in a positive way to their communities,” Josh Smith, vice president for school and community relations for SchoolsFirst, said in the news release.

Scholarship recipients are:

• Riverside: Valeria Aguilar, Sara Copple, Viena Estrada, Amber Gallardo, Madison Garthe, Alexandria Grossi, Catalina McCarron, Richard Padilla, Viviana Perez, Ayleen Puente.

• Corona: Giselle Aguilar, Gianna Garza, Rylee Lingwall, Rebecca Nakamura, Jaclyn Paul, Elyse Proctor, Toby Proctor, Mason Torres, Alil Washington.

• Eastvale: Christopher Dianela.

• Jurupa Valley: Jesus Ochoa, Yennhi Truong.

• Moreno Valley: Albert Herrera.

• Hemet: Xavier Bennett Aquino.

• Lake Elsinore: Kevin Garcia, Eva Kemle.

• Menifee: Justin Allen, Mia Domiccio, Jarrett Johansen, Kendra Johansen, Alankrita Kumar.

• Murrieta: Landon Archuleta, Hailey Negro, Jaide Yim.

• Temecula: Ryan Duncan, Owen Parsley.

• Cathedral City: Lorelei Beyronneau.

• Desert Hot Springs: Sophia Marquez.

• Palm Desert: Shafaa Munjal.

• La Verne: Marina Cole-Gutierrez, Nadia Cole-Gutierrez.

• Chino: Alessandro Gibbs, Angelo Gibbs, Cecil Howell, Ruben Lecaro.

• Chino Hills: Evie Lizarraga.

• Pomona: Jonathan Gonzalez.

• Rancho Cucamonga: Aiden Gutierrez, Adelaide Mills.

• Upland: Hannah Flores, Jade Garcia, Kaelyn Swanger.

• Fontana: Santiago Iniguez, Valeria Iniguez, Arnulfo Orozco Jr.

• Highland: Olivia Elgan.

• Redlands: Sierra Mason.

• Yucaipa: Cristina Dickason, Lillie Loomis.

• Lancaster: Atianna Franklin, Alejandro Galindo, Trinity Wood.

• Victorville: Amani Alcazar.

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union was founded in 1934, when 126 school employees pooled $1,200 and established a member-owned cooperative to help improve each other’s lives. It now has nearly $34 billion in assets, according to the news release.

For information, go to schoolsfirstfcu.org.

The post More than 60 Inland Empire students receive SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union scholarships appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Lorena Roberts, a 4^th grade teacher at Nuview Elementary School, said, “I am so grateful to have received a CalRTA Division 33 Teacher Grant. I am excited to buy more books for my classroom library. I also plan on buying more prizes for my monthly Scholar Dollar store. My students are going to love all of the new prizes. “

Another Nuview Elementary School 4^th grade teacher, Natalie Ogle, said her class was so excited when she told them about winning the grant. “We are out of Expo markers, highlighters, mechanical pencils and a group set of books. We have had parents donate these items a few times already this year, but now we are in need of replacement supplies. I truly appreciate CalRTA’s donation and I’m so glad I entered the contest,” Ogle said.

“Thank you so much for this $100 grant,” said Guillermina Casarez, who teaches 3^rd grade at Hemet Elementary School.  “I will be using the money to buy seat pockets for my classroom,” Casarez said.  She explained that seat pockets help students by providing easily accessible storage space on the back or sides of their chairs to keep their school supplies organized and desks tidy.

Cassy Taylor-Campos, a 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade ES teacher at Hamilton High School, said she plans “to purchase resources for Yoga exercise and sitting balls for my classroom.” Sitting on stability balls (exercise balls) in a classroom can benefit students by allowing them to move and fidget while still focusing on learning.

Ron and Sue Breyer, CalRTA Division 33 Co-Presidents, presented a $100 State-level CalRTA teacher grant to Master Gunnery Sergeant David Mendez from Tahquitz High School at their recent staff meeting.  As a surprise, Division 33 matched that $100 grant with a crisp $100 bill for a total of $200 to use in his classroom!  Mendez heads up the Tahquitz High School Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, one of the biggest and most influential leadership programs in the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley.

One of the missions of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) is to support public education, and its popular teacher grant program is just one way in which local retired teachers can support and show their appreciation for local educators. In addition to teacher grants, CalRTA Division 33 also offers up to 15 $1000 scholarships to graduating seniors in Hemet, San Jacinto and Nuview School Districts who plan to become public school teachers.  For more information about CalRTA, go to calrta.org or div33.calrta.org.  

The post Local Teachers to Use Grant Funds for Classroom Supplies, Incentives appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Bethany Gibson teaches IB Language & Literature and AP Language & Composition at San Jacinto High School, where she is also Co-English Department Chair and IB Coordinator.  When she received notice that she was a grant recipient, she said, “I’m so thrilled to have this grant opportunity! I am in the process of creating supply boxes for our interactive notebooks we use in all my classes. Boxes will be available for each table group to use so supplies are only ever an arm’s reach away! I’m also considering investing in ambient lighting for my classroom. The overhead lights are bright and clear but ambient lighting helps soothe the mind and provides a more inviting atmosphere for learning.”

Valle Vista Elementary School Special Education teacher Kelly Hileman expressed her thanks to CalRTA for providing these opportunities to receive funds for their classrooms.  She said, “Thank you so much for holding such events for teachers! This check means so much to me! I plan on buying art and sensory items with the money. I teach TK-2 Special Education, and the Arts and sensory opportunities are so critical for this group of students. Thank you from room 16, Mrs. Hileman’s Class!”

Science teacher Melissa Ferguson teaches 6th and 7th grade Mild Moderate SDC/RSP (Special Day Class and Resource Specialist Program) at Kathryn Newport Middle School in Menifee.  As with the other grant recipients, Melissa is focusing on the necessities.  “Thank you!” Melissa responded when notified she was a winner.  “This $100 grant will go to starting my ‘I’m in need of…’ cabinet. Many of my students lack supplies or even basic necessities, and I want to take those factors that often become barriers to learning out of their picture.” 

Lisa Cameron teaches 7^th grade Special Education at Menifee Valley Middle School Menifee.  Given the limited budgets established by many districts, teachers are always in need of additional supplies to bolster instruction and increase student participation and engagement.  Lisa says that she plans to use her $100 grant to purchase “balance boards for students to stand and work at tall desks.”

The California Retired Teachers Association’s mission is to protect retirement security and other retirement benefits for teachers and to support public education.  Teacher grants are just one way in which retired teachers can support and advocate for current California educators.  CalRTA Division 33 awards 16 $100 Teacher Grants each year and offers 11 $1000 scholarships annually to graduating seniors from local high schools. For more information about CalRTA, go to calrta.org or div33.calrta.org.

The post Calrta Teacher Grant Recipients Thankful For Extra Funds appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Two teachers – Jessica Sotelo from West Valley High School in Hemet, and Heather Goka from Lisa Mails Elementary School in Murrieta – each received a $100 check from the California Retired Teachers Association State Teacher Grant program.  Then each teacher was pleasantly surprised when CalRTA Division 33 matched their $100 check with a crisp $100 bill, for a total of $200.   

Jessica Sotelo, who teaches AVID 11, and IB Psychology at West Valley, said, “I am so grateful to have received the STATE teacher grant. I wasn’t expecting our local division to match the state grant with another $100, so that was an amazing surprise! I plan to use the funds to restock my student supply/resource station with such items as lint rollers, Kleenex, band-aids, hygiene products, mints, and granola bars to provide to students if they need a snack during the school day.”

Heather Goka, a third grade teacher at Lisa Mails Elementary School said, “I plan to use the $200 for basic supplies like paper and markers as well as some new classroom decorations to make the room feel warmer and create a more positive learning environment for my students.  Thank you!”

Another four $100 teacher grant winners were randomly selected at the April 9^th luncheon meeting of CalRTA Division 33.  Nicole Hernandez, third grade teacher at Megan Cope Elementary School in San Jacinto, plans to put the funds toward improving her students’ math skills.  “Thank you for the $100 grant!” Hernandez said.  “I plan on using the money on math manipulatives for my classroom, specifically fraction cubes. Many of my students can struggle with the concept of equal piece and how a larger denominator means a smaller piece. These manipulatives will benefit them greatly. “ 

Teri Perez, who teaches Moderate and Severe Special Education classes at DeAnza Elementary School in San Jacinto, says, “Thank you so much for this $100 grant. I plan to use the money to buy some laminating materials, some incentives for my classroom, and Play Doh!  Laminating things allows reuse, incentives help my students remain motivated to work hard on their goals and Play Doh is one of their favorite items to decompress with. Thank you again from me and the De Anza Tigers!”

Tahquitz High School teacher Anne Rizzacasa, who teaches a wide variety of science classes at her school site in Hemet, says, “Thank you so much for the support. I will be using the funds to purchase an electric vehicle kit from Forward Education. The kit guides students to build computer science skills while addressing energy solutions to address climate change.”

Holly Baird, a Nuview Elementary School Kindergarten teacher, received the exciting news of her $100 grant on her birthday.  “I was super excited to receive this classroom money on my birthday!” Baird says.  “I plan to buy more ELA and math games and activities because I only have a few.  I also want to buy batteries for my voice amplifier. The kids are going to love this! Thank you!”

One of CalRTA’s missions is to support public education and awarding 16 $100 teacher grants to local teachers each year is just a part of that mission.  Division 33 also offers 11 $1000 scholarships to local high school seniors who plan to become public school teachers.  For more information about CalRTA, go to www.calrta.org or www.div33.calrta.org.

The post CalRTA Awards Teacher Grants to Six Local Educators appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.