The Santa Ana Unified School District is contemplating approximately 280 teacher and counselor layoffs to address a budget shortfall of $187 million. Santa Ana USD spokespeople have explained that these layoffs are partly due to a 5% drop in enrollment, which the district attributes to declining birth rates across the state and the high cost of living in Orange County, particularly in Santa Ana.
As elected officials representing the City of Santa Ana, we believe declining enrollment at Santa Ana Unified can, in part, be explained by recognizing that the city’s population has steadily decreased over the past two decades. According to U.S. Census data, Santa Ana’s population fell from 338,000 in 2000 to 310,000 in 2020. While countywide data for the current school year is not yet available, we are also aware that from 2022-23 to 2023-24, Orange County as a whole experienced a 0.9% decline in enrollment.
However, demographics alone do not fully explain the trend. Despite a shrinking population, we are seeing students and parents actively choose alternative educational options because they believe Santa Ana Unified does not meet their needs. In today’s educational landscape, where families have more choices, more students are opting for other available pathways.
Having walked hundreds of homes in Santa Ana Unified during the March and November 2024 elections, we heard firsthand from parents who expressed frustration with Santa Ana USD. Their concerns ranged from an excessive focus on ethnic studies programs to a lack of quality education in core subjects. Some parents also shared that their children do not feel safe in Santa Ana Unified schools due to bullying.
We also believe Santa Ana Unified’s leadership has strayed from its core mission of raising student outcomes. For example, at a recent Santa Ana USD meeting, the Board President opened with a statement about how Orange County was colonized to the detriment of local Indigenous tribes. While historical awareness is important, such statements do not help improve student achievement. Moving forward, we urge the Board to focus on its fundamental responsibility: ensuring that every student receives a high-quality education.
To curb declining enrollment, we, as the city’s elected representatives, offer the following recommendations:
• Refocus on Core Subjects. Santa Ana Unified should prioritize reading, writing, math, and science, dedicating fewer resources to ethnic studies programs and other divisive initiatives. While ethnic studies is now a state-mandated graduation requirement, parents have raised concerns that Santa Ana Unified allocates resources beyond what is required, as well as concerns over the curriculum itself.
• Conduct a Root Cause Analysis. Superintendent Jerry Almendarez and the Santa Ana Unified Board of Trustees should engage with local education partners—teachers, parents, and students—to fully understand why families are leaving the district. This process should include local listening tours to gather community feedback about what the district is doing well and where improvements are needed. Once this data is collected, the district can develop targeted initiatives and responses.
• Implement Personalized Learning Plans. Santa Ana Unified should develop a personalized learning plan for every student in the district. These plans should focus on individual goals, whether that be attending college, pursuing a trade, or securing employment after high school. Each student should have regular check-ins—at least monthly—with a counselor or teacher to ensure they are progressing toward their aspirations.
As the Mayor of Santa Ana and the Orange County Board of Education Trustee for District 1, we stand ready to support these efforts should you choose to implement our recommendations. We are confident that, in collaboration with the Orange County Department of Education and other education partners, we can reverse the trend of declining enrollment and refocus on our shared mission of improving student outcomes in this great district.
As always, we remain at your service.
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Valerie Amezcua is the mayor of Santa Ana, and a former member of the Santa Ana Unified School District.
Jorge Valdes, Esq., is a member of the Orange County Board of Education, representing District 1.
