After nine long months of organizing, the Save Esplanade campaign came to a victorious close: Esplanade Elementary will remain open, and Orange County Classical Academy (OCCA) will not be taking over the campus.
This win didn’t come easy.
It began with whispers—rumors that Esplanade, a beloved neighborhood school in El Modena, was being targeted for closure to make room for OCCA. Parents and staff were left in the dark. Concerned and frustrated, they reached out to Resilience OC for support. What followed was a powerful grassroots campaign rooted in love, culture, and a deep commitment to place.
The Heart of El Modena
Known by many as el corazón de El Modena, Esplanade Elementary has long been a refuge and resource for immigrant, Spanish-speaking, and working-class families in the City of Orange. It is not just a school—it is a community anchor, a safe space, and a second home to generations of students and families.
When district leadership and school board members denied the community’s concerns, residents didn’t back down. They showed up, month after month, to school board meetings—demanding transparency, respect, and the truth.
The Save Esplanade campaign was led by parents, students, and educators, with organizing support from Resilience OC and Padres Unidos. It was a movement fueled by lived experience and deep ties to the school. What began as scattered concerns became a collective force—strategic, loud, and unrelenting.
Through media coverage, public comment, petitions, and grassroots pressure, the community forced the district to acknowledge what it had tried to ignore.
A Community Win
This week, the picture changed. For now, Esplanade is safe, thanks to the people who refused to let it be quietly erased.
This win belongs to every parent who spoke out, every child who held a sign, every neighbor who showed up. It’s a testament to what happens when communities organize and fight—not just for buildings, but for belonging.
We’re proud to have stood alongside El Modena in this fight. Save Esplanade reminds us all:
Our schools are not for sale. Our communities are not disposable. And our hearts cannot be moved.