Profiles March-April 2025
Stanford University decides not to buy nearby university campus
Stanford University has dropped plans to buy the Notre Dame de Namur University campus in Belmont, California.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Stanford cited several unforeseen factors that swayed its decision, particularly the changes in higher education and the accompanying financial challenges.
Notre Dame de Namur said it was disappointed with Stanford's decision, but will continue as an independent Catholic university on the campus as it seeks a different buyer for the site.
Stanford entered into an option purchase agreement in 2021 to acquire the 46-acre property. It had planned to create a satellite campus for 2,500 students, faculty and staff. The site, roughly 13 miles from Stanford's main campus in Palo Alto, would have been called Stanford Belmont.
Chicago School Board agrees to keep open 5 schools that charter network wanted to close
The Chicago School Board has agreed to keep five of seven Acero charter campuses open — overriding the charter network's plans to shutter the schools.
Chalkbeat Chicago reports that the decision means two Acero charter schools — Paz and Cruz — would still close in June. Paz is an elementary school, and Cruz is a K-12 school. The school district will cover the costs of operating the five other campuses; it must still hash out a formal agreement with Acero.
The five campuses that will continue operating are Casas, Cisneros, Fuentes, Santiago and Tamayo elementary schools.
The school board’s 16-3 vote is its first major decision since it transitioned from a mayor-appointed seven-member panel to partly appointed, party elected 21-member board.
Families and teachers, who have blasted Acero for moving to close the schools in the first place, celebrated the board’s decision.
Penn State says some of its 19 branch campuses will have to close
Penn State says it will have to close some of its 19 branch campuses as it adjusts to declining enrollments, demographic shifts and financial pressures.
The Associated Press reports that the university’s seven largest branch campuses — Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, Harrisburg, and Lehigh Valley — will remain open.
But because enrollments are declining elsewhere and populations in nearby areas are projected to continue declining, the other 12 campuses throughout Pennsylvania will be scrutinized to see if it makes sense for them to continue operating.
University President Neeli Bendapudi says in a message posted to the university’s website that an internal team will make closing recommendations to her, and she’ll announce her decisions by spring commencement.
About 6,000 students were enrolled last fall at the 12 campuses targeted for possible closure, according to Penn State’s data.
State of Texas takes over management of South San Antonio district
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has wrested control of the South San Antonio Independent School District from the elected school board and has appointed a new superintendent to lead the district.
Texas Public Radio reports that the move follows years of state investigations and interventions in response to issues such as board overreach, infighting and gridlock.
The TEA has appointed seven people to a board of managers that will oversee the school system; The TEA also named Saul Hinojosa as South San Antonio's superintendent. Hinojosa was the superintendent of Somerset district for 15 years before he retired in 2023.
The elected South San Antonio board has been overseen by state monitors and conservators off and on for years, but now the state has completely taken away its ability to make decisions.