By Nadra Nittle – Press-Telegram
The little red schoolhouse in Catalina Island’s tiny village of Two Harbors has kept its doors open since 1987, despite fluctuating enrollment. At its busiest, two dozen students have attended Two Harbors Elementary School, which has just one room. At its slowest a mere three students have attended.
Today Two Harbors serves six students, an enrollment number that is too low to justify keeping it open, argues Karen McKay, a retired schoolteacher who worked at the nearby Avalon K-12 School until 2002. Both schools fall under the jurisdiction of the Long Beach Unified School District, and McKay said that school officials have not taken her views seriously.
“My concern is that the school district is spending $100,000 a year on six students,” said McKay. “Keeping this school open is almost like a pet project.”