School Board members voted Thursday night to close Thomas Jefferson, Alice Birney and Lisbon elementary schools and Genesis Charter High School.

Board President Roy Grimes says it wasn't an easy decision.  

“Not a very easy thing at all. Hopefully we won’t have to very many more of these in the future.” 

Grimes says the closures will save the district $1.5 million a year. 

“First of all, we have too many schools compared to districts our size. The other part is we’re trying to close a $15.6 million budget gap.” 

But parents like Mauricio Gonzalez…who has a six-year-old kindergartner at Alice Birney elementary…say it was the wrong decision.

“To be honest with you I think I’m going to send my kid to private school now. The class size increase that’s going to be happening with our students it’s really against my beliefs.” 

A fifth school - Mark Hopkins Elementary - is scheduled to be closed at the end of the next school year. 

The closures will impact around 600 students.