“We basically got an email saying that the school might be removing the middle school, which is clearly disappointing to our family, our community, as a parent,” Tommy Trassari said.

Trassari has two daughters at Bethune. One is an eighth grader, the other a third grader. He and his wife Nadine want their youngest to stay at Bethune through eighth grade.

“I do feel strong, but I am discouraged if she doesn’t get that opportunity,” Nadine Trassari said.

Nadine said the continuity gives her daughter structure and the perfect environment to excel academically, socially, and emotionally.

“I put my kids in a K-8 for a very good reason. We love our kids, we want stability for our kids, we want to see our kids thrive and Bethune is going to do that for my children,” Nadine said.

Keeping their kids at Bethune may not be an option anymore. The announcement came as a surprise to parents and teachers alike.

“I believe the community, the school board, should have said, hey, let’s have a meeting, let’s sit down with all the parents, let’s sit down with the teachers, and see what is going on and see your thoughts before we just present this to you,” Trassari said.

In a letter sent to parents last week, the superintendent informed parents and Bethune, Audubon, and Fulton Elementary schools, that sixth through eighth grade students will be rerouted to Bell Middle School.

Golden Hill’s sixth through eighth grade students have the option to go to Roosevelt, Dana, or Correia.

In an interview with NBC 7, Superintendent Fabiola Bagula, Ph.D. said two years ago principals from three of the four schools approached her with concerns.

They included low performance and graduation rates among the K-8 students. The future of those middle schools will be the subject of discussion this week.

“We’re going to be talking and sharing the data and the findings that we have, the concerns, but also the offerings that we can leverage at middle schools,” Fabiola Bagula, Ph.D. said.  

Arilyn Denoso is in her fourth year at UCSD and a Bethune alumna.

For her, advocating for Bethune means advocating for family who currently attends and for the teachers who have contributed to her success.

“They’re always proud to hear of my accomplishments because they really wanted to set me up for those accomplishments,” Denoso said.

That pushback and concern from Arilyn and others now has the superintendent saying she may not follow through with the proposed cut at Bethune.