May 7, 2021 As previously reported in this paper and other media outlets, a group of parents from the Forestville area and El Molino High School community have been attempting to stop or slow down the pending consolidation of their high school with that of Analy High School in Sebastopol. Because of declining enrollments and an on-going structural budget deficit, the West Sonoma County Union High School District decided to move El Molino students to the Analy High School location and form a single consolidated comprehensive high school. This parent’s group, now organized as “The Community Alliance for Responsible Education (CARE),” has been vigorously opposed to, and fighting to save El Molino, from a consolidation. This has been on the school board’s agenda since November of last year. Because of their opposition, the board placed a parcel tax measure on the March 2021 ballot. It was an attempt to buy time and delay the need for consolidation. That measure failed. The attempt cost the school district more money and led to their decision to consolidate in the 2021-2022 school year. Many of these parents in this group were also behind a letter sent to the district raising the issue of changing trustee elections from by-area to by-district elections under the California Voting Rights Act (CRVA). The district has declared their intent to do so in time for the 2022 elections. That too is costing the district more money.