Lewis Adult School closes

<p>Wednesday marked the final day of classes at Lewis Adult School in Santa Rosa as the small campus closed for lack of funding.</p><p>The Santa Rosa School Board voted in May to suspend funding for the campus, saying under financial pressure the core mission of the district is to serve kindergarten students through high school seniors.</p><p>The district has slashed $8.5 million from its two-year budget and frozen an additional $5.6 million, while warning still more cuts could be coming.</p><p>Officials from Santa Rosa Junior College have been on campus for weeks, assisting students in navigating a potential transition to the community college, said Lewis interim principal Laura Hendrickson.</p><p>“There was a lot of trepidation and concern about not being able to get through the system at the JC,” she said. “Nobody wants to make this decision.”</p><p>Lewis is used largely for English as a second language classes, as well as computer and work skills instruction. Many courses are self-paced, allowing students to work and maintain child care as they study.</p><p>“This is an amazing place,” Hendrickson said. “It’s bittersweet.”</p>