West county families rally against high school consolidation in Sebastopol

Parents, students and staff from the West Sonoma County Union High School District rallied Thursday afternoon in opposition to a plan to consolidate the region’s two main high schools by fall.

The district’s school board approved moving forward with the consolidation of Analy and El Molino high schools on March 10. The plan includes moving El Molino’s students to the Analy Campus and shifting both the district administrative offices and Laguna High School to El Molino’s vacated campus.

Consolidating the two high schools has been controversial since officials began to consider the option this past fall.

Much of the opposition comes from families in the El Molino community, who feared the loss of the Forestville high school that served as a hub for students from the furthest reaches of the district.

The school board’s decision to pursue rebranding of the new unified Sebastopol campus also has angered Analy families who say they don’t want to lose the school’s 113-year-old history.

Beyond Thursday’s protest, opponents are planning a possible legal challenge to the consolidation and an attempt to recall the three school board members who voted for consolidation in March.

District administration and the school board, meanwhile, are working to implement consolidation by next fall. The district is seeking input from families on rebranding possibilities for the combined campus, including a new name, mascot and colors.