December 22, 2025
In response to the potential threat of closure stemming from recent state requirements related to teacher accreditation and regulatory compliance, the school community of the Escuela Popular came together to reaffirm its legacy and its irreplaceable role in the lives of thousands of families.
The possible closure of the school in East San Jose has sparked deep alarm among hundreds of immigrant families, teachers, and community leaders who see this school as much more than an educational center: they consider it a refuge, a bridge to integration, and, for many, their second home.
The community has been informed that the East San Jose High School District is considering closing the institution, citing alleged irregularities with the teaching staff’s credentials. But those who teach and study within these classrooms assert that these reasons do not reflect reality.
Lucero Arellano, Director of Support Services. Photo: Rossana Drumond, Alianza News
Lucero Arellano, director of Support Services , affirms that the school has rigorously complied with every legal and operational requirement. “100% of our classroom teachers are credentialed. The district is not understanding who we are and what we represent for this Latino community,” she explained with concern.
Yolanda Ortiz, former teacher and current instructional leader at Escuela Popular. Photo: Rossana Drumond, Alianza News
Yolanda Ortiz, a former teacher and current instructional leader at Escuela Popular, shares this concern, noting that recent changes to the state credentialing law, which only came into effect in July 2025, have generated external confusion, but not non-compliance on the part of the school. “Here we serve more than 500 students, from elementary school to evening programs for parents. We are 98% Latino. We are a safe and educational space for an entire community that needs it,” she emphasizes.
The mural of resistance
“The mural is my story and the story of many others,” says Leisar García. “That’s why it hurts me to think that a place like this could disappear.” Photo: Rossana Drumond, Alianza News
Leisar García, a young artist and former student, returns every Friday to the place where he found a family, a language, and a future. Today, he raises his voice to prevent the school’s closure from erasing opportunities for hundreds of immigrants like himself.
Leisar earned his high school diploma a year ago and still returns religiously every Friday. He walks the halls where he spent four years of his life, takes Professor Michael Kinney’s art class, and reconnects with friends, colors, and memories that live on in his brushes. «I always feel at home here,» he says.
The word “closure” sounds very bad to Leisar. He found his calling at the Popular School, but now he expresses his concern knowing that others might be left without the opportunities he received.
“If the school closes, they would be closing the doors to many talented young people, to many immigrants who just need an opportunity,” he reflects.
The Escuela Popular didn’t just give him classes; it gave him a language to tell his own story. His mural, painted in 27 days alongside other students, is a work that synthesizes daily life on campus, the diverse faces, the shared dreams, and his own journey as a young newcomer. Each stroke tells an anecdote of coexistence, learning, and resilience.
María Angélica Bello de Romero, mother. Photo: Rossana Drumond, Alianza News
But perhaps the most compelling testimony comes from those who would feel the impact of the closure most acutely: the families. María Angélica Bello de Romero, mother of 11 children, eight of whom have attended the Popular School, speaks from the heart. For her, this educational institution is not just a public service; it is a vital bond.
“It’s a humanitarian school, one that teaches with love. If they close it, it would be a catastrophe for parents and children. My children don’t want to leave here. This school is like my second home,” she confesses emotionally.
The Popular School doesn’t just educate students: it educates families. There, immigrant parents find English courses and adult education; children receive bilingual support; and newly arrived communities find a space where their language, culture, and challenges are respected.
The risk of closure represents not only the loss of a building, but also the fracturing of a social ecosystem that has sustained thousands of Latino families for decades in their adaptation process. Forty years of history, effort, and community cannot be reduced to an administrative report.
The Popular School is a bilingual and bicultural institution with nearly four decades of service in East San Jose, and has established itself as a family-centered educational community. It has four academies serving students of different ages: the Childcare Academy, focused on the intellectual, emotional, and imaginative growth of early childhood; the K-8 Dual Language Academy, which promotes bilingual proficiency and academic confidence; the High School Academy Under 19, with an intensive English development model and small class sizes of 20:1; and the High School Academy 19 and Over, which primarily serves Spanish-speaking adults with programs that foster language development, career readiness, and personal growth.
While discussions with the district continue, teachers, parents, and community leaders remain hopeful. Together, they affirm, they will ensure this educational beacon continues to illuminate lives.
In that spirit, they held a conference to demonstrate the strong community support and highlight the urgent need to preserve a space that has historically opened doors to educational opportunities, personal development, and intergenerational empowerment since its founding in 1986. Participants in the event included Patricia Reguerin, Executive Director of Escuela Popular; Peter Ortiz, San Jose City Councilman for District 5; Ellen Middaugh, Board Member; Sergio López, alumnus; and Astrid Hernández, staff member, along with students, families, alumni, and educators, who emphasized the profound impact the school has had on several generations of learners.
The occasion also served as an opportunity for the speakers to share personal stories and call for urgent measures to guarantee the continuity of this institution, considered essential to the social and educational fabric of the area. Because for them, the Popular School is not just a school. It’s home. It’s community. It’s the future.
