Across California, school districts are grappling with an uncomfortable truth: fewer students, shrinking budgets, and tough decisions about school closures.

The Alum Rock Union School District (ARUSD) is no exception. But within this crisis lies an opportunity — one that could transform East San Jose’s future.

The closures, while painful, have created a rare opening: surplus public land that can be reimagined for public good. This isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s a call to action. We can — and must — convert these properties into assets that serve our community for generations. That means family housing, youth centers, workforce development programs, small business hubs and wraparound support services to benefit ARUSD students and East Side families. The Mexican American Community Services Agency, a longstanding cultural and community anchor in Mayfair, is the perfect place to start.

For decades, the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) stood as a symbol of resilience and pride in East San Jose. Its walls once housed youth leadership programs, arts and culture celebrations and vital services for working families. Today, it sits underused — but not unloved. Organizations like the Sí Se Puede Collective are ready to breathe new life into it.

What we need is partnership.

We recognize the hard road ahead for ARUSD board members, who must make decisions in the shadow of systemic inequities. Declining enrollment isn’t just a district problem — it’s a regional warning. Families are being priced out of San Jose, leaving neighborhoods like Alum Rock with fewer students and tighter budgets. Since 2014, ARUSD’s enrollment has fallen by more than 2,000 students — a nearly 25% drop. Statewide, California has lost more than 300,000 students in just the past five years.

But even amid these challenges, we can choose innovation over inertia. Senate Bill 743, introduced by state Sen. Dave Cortese, offers one path forward: creating an education endowment from the state’s general fund to close persistent funding gaps across school districts. That’s a bold move toward equity — but local actions matter just as much. Repurposing shuttered school sites is one of the most immediate, high-impact steps ARUSD can take right now.

Imagine this: MACSA restored not just as a building, but as a launchpad for youth leadership, parent empowerment and economic mobility. It could house after-school programs that nurture creativity and build self-confidence. It could serve as a family resource center, connecting residents to mental health support, financial literacy programs and employment opportunities. It could host job training courses that lead to livable wages — especially critical in a region where nearly 60% of East San Jose households struggle to make ends meet.

This vision echoes the priorities in San Jose’s Youth Master Plan, which calls for expanded access to safe spaces, enrichment opportunities and pathways to economic security. It’s also grounded in practical urgency. According to the California School Boards Association, strategic repurposing of school properties can generate long-term revenue and deliver essential services to underserved communities.

To get there, we need a bold, community-centered partnership between ARUSD and trusted organizations already doing the work. The Sí Se Puede Collective and its member agencies know how to navigate the complexity of community development. We’ve led affordable housing projects, operated a renowned cultural facility with a six-acre footprint and created cross-sector programs that uplift entire neighborhoods.

Together, the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza and SOMOS Mayfair have formed a joint venture to establish the Mayfair Neighborhood Trust on behalf of the Sí Se Puede Collective and the broader East San José community. This initiative — anchored in community engagement, equity, and cultural preservation — is central to our vision of transforming Mayfair into a vibrant, resilient neighborhood. Revitalizing the MACSA site is one piece of a larger puzzle: building the community our families deserve and ensuring ARUSD students and families have the support, space and dignity to thrive.

Let’s turn this moment of reckoning into a moment of renewal. Let’s take what appears to be loss and uncover the silver lining and dream about the possibilities MACSA and other sites can bring for our children and youth. Together, we can ensure MACSA — and sites like it — are not left behind, but instead repurposed to reflect the resilience, strength and aspirations of East San Jose.

Because our children deserve more than vacant buildings. They deserve spaces that believe in their future.

Jessica Paz-Cedillos is co-executive director of the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Victor Vasquez is co-executive director at SOMOS Mayfair.