COALITION FOR
NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS
Santa Barbara Elementary School District
13 Neighborhood Elementary Schools - 1972
When Santa Barbara schools were designed and built in the 1920's, our school leaders sensibly designed a walkable system of neighborhood schools. Every child could walk six and a half blocks to reach his or her neighborhood school. This is our fight. This is what we stand for. Thirteen neighborhood schools. Each twelve blocks away from the next one. We're not going to stop until we get back to this! We are committed to advocate until we have all our historic elementary schools restored to their respective neighborhoods.
Four Elementary Schools were *SOLD* in the 1970s.
Original Thirteen Neighborhood Elementary Schools:
1. Peabody School: 3018 Calle Noguera
2: Roosevelt School: 1990 Laguna Street
3: Jefferson School: 1321 Alameda Padre Serra
*SOLD*: now it is a private school (SB Middle School)
4: Franklin School: 1111 E. Mason Street
5: Cleveland School: 123 Alameda Padre Serra
6: Adams School: 2701 Las Positas
7: Garfield School: 310 West Padre Street
*SOLD* to SBCC, an adult education center
8: Wilson School: 423 W. Victoria Street
*SOLD* to City of SB, now low income housing and community center
9: Lincoln School: 119 E. Cota
*SOLD* to City of SB: Proposed Police Station
10: Harding School: 1625 Robbins Street
11: McKinley School: 350 Loma Alta Drive
12: Washington School: 290 Lighthouse Road
13: Monroe School: 431 Flora Vista Drive
REBUILD LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 720 Santa Barbara Street (SBUSD Administrative Offices)
It is unacceptable that four of our beloved, historic public elementary school facilities, built with property tax dollars and civic vision -- Jefferson (3), Garfield (7), Wilson (8) and Lincoln (9) -- are being used for ANY purpose other than educating children in public elementary schools in their neighborhoods. There are plenty of neighborhood students to fill these schools overnight, especially Lincoln and Garfield. Coalition for Neighborhood Schools wants all four of these elementary schools re-established for neighborhood children, starting with Lincoln School. Because of these closures, kids can no longer walk to school in their neighborhoods.
The adjacent South Santa Barbara County school districts of Goleta, Hope, Montecito, and Cold Spring Elementary Districts ALL have neighborhood elementary schools. Children in Santa Barbara deserve to have neighborhood elementary schools as well. Reopening a small Lincoln School neighborhood elementary school (in existing classrooms) at 720 Santa Barbara Street is a simple and natural step forward. Let's do it now, and bring these many elementary students back into their own neighborhood, walking to school again, at the earliest possible date.
