5 Inglewood schools slated to close

5 Inglewood schools slated to shutdown

Citing a decline in enrollment, Inglewood superintendent said five schools will close at the end of the school year.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The Inglewood school superintendent announced Wednesday that the district will permanently close five local schools.

The school district says the shutdown is due to a decline in enrollment.

The schools slated to close are Crozier Junior High, Hudnall TK-6 School, Highland TK-6 School, Morningside High School, and Kelso TK-6 School.

The schools will close at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

"We need to close some schools to remain competitive, improve instruction, and repair the schools that will remain open," Superintendent Dr. James Morris said.

He said the shrinking number of students would change the school experience.

"In order to provide the best program, and you're right, it's not just about what happens during the school day, it's clubs and activities and sports and opportunities for band and enrichment. We have to be able to provide that for all our kids. And with 222 students, we can't offer a viable high school program," Morris added.

Yet many parents are upset with the district's decision.

"For me, as an alumni of Morningside High, it does not make sense to remove a school. I feel bad for everyone else but there's only two schools, high schools, and they're about to close one of ours," said resident Reina Carrillo.

The district is paying more than $2 million each year to pay for the poor fiscal management that put the district into state receivership in 2012.

Fre'Drisha Dixon says there's a solution coming.

"We've actually gone above his head and we're organizing on a state level with our bill, the California Public School Sovereignty Act. Since we have built momentum with our bill, it's like they're rushing to close the schools now. They're trying to beat us before we can get our bill passed and get them out," she told FOX 11.

For a while, rumors were swirling around the potential closure of Morningside High School which is located less than a mile from the Hollywood Park property which includes SoFi Stadium and YouTube Theatre and the soon to open Intuit Dome.

According to a 103-page document released by the district, Harridge Development Group, LLC, was awarded the right to develop property adjacent to Morningside High and the now shuttered Clyde Woodworth Elementary School on March 17, 2022.