Salem-Keizer Public Schools is proposing to close Brush College, Candalaria, Cummings, Englewood, Liberty and Richmond elementary schools beginning in fall 2027, citing declining enrollment and the difficulty of sustaining smaller schools. District leaders plan to present the proposal to the school board Tuesday. The board is expected to make a final decision on the closures at its Dec. 8 meeting. Proposed attendance-boundary changes would accompany the closures, but the district does not expect to finalize those changes until February 2027. The district estimates that the closures and boundary adjustments would affect 5% of its students and 250 staff members. Families affected by boundary changes will be able to apply for a “continuity exemption,” according to the district. Superintendent Andrea Castañeda said the district sees no way to avoid responding to enrollment declines, which she linked to falling birth rates and families choosing alternatives to public schools. She said those pressures are affecting school districts beyond Salem-Keizer as well. Deputy Superintendent for Elementary Schools Olga Cobb said keeping schools open as enrollment shrinks would require cuts to staffing and student supports. She argued that consolidating students into more fully enrolled schools could help sustain the district’s recent gains on state tests. The proposal comes as Salem-Keizer also faces a projected $46 million budget deficit for the next school year. Castañeda said the budget shortfall and enrollment challenges are separate problems, and that closures would not save the district much money immediately. Instead, she said, consolidations are intended to better align resources and avoid an unsustainable future. District officials will hold engagement sessions with families next week at several middle schools. The next two school board meetings are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., two hours earlier than usual, to allow more time for public comment. Chief Operations Officer Paul Odenthal said further closures could be considered in the coming years, potentially extending to secondary schools. Salem-Keizer is Oregon’s second-largest school district, and its proposal follows enrollment declines of thousands of students across the district over the past five years.