East Bay school once slated to close now saved, rebuilt after community effort

SAN PABLO, Calif. - It’s a day of celebration for one community in the West Contra Costa School District. Lake Elementary School, which was almost closed a decade ago, has been rebuilt, and part of the new campus opened today.

The first day of school in the West Contra Costa Unified School District isn't until Monday, but dozens of parents, teachers, and students gathered today to celebrate the campus reopening. 

The original Lake Elementary opened in 1957. In 2009, district budget issues nearly led to its closure, but parents and teachers stepped in to save it.

"Patricia was at the forefront of parents and teachers telling the school district to find the money," said Kristen Jones, a West Contra Costa Unified School District teacher who used to teach third grade at Lake Elementary. 

Her friend, Patricia Ponce had three kids at Lake Elementary at the time when she led the community-wide effort to challenge the school board and district and keep the school open. 

Fifteen years later, Ponce is now the mayor of San Pablo. Along with her three kids, she also attended Lake Elementary as a child. Now, her granddaughter attends the school.  

"It's generations—a community school that's important to keep," Ponce said.

Initially, the district claimed there were no funds to keep the school open, but community pressure led to the City of San Pablo committing to contribute $900,000 over a three-year period, starting in 2009, to keep the school open. 

In 2016, voters approved a bond measure to rebuild the school entirely.

"We have grandparents that bring their children here. We have staff who bring their children here who have gone here themselves," said Jeannie Williams, the principal of Lake Elementary. "It's such a nice legacy and commitment to this community. This school really reflects that."

The cost to rebuild the school was $16 million. The second phase of construction, which will be completed next year, will include a new multipurpose room and a separate wing for the youngest students—T-K and kindergartners—and may even include public school preschool in the future.

"The moral of the story is community activism and parent involvement—that's really what made the difference," Jones said.