5 Mockingbird Pl
Santa Rosa, CA 95409

To the General Community:We want to share our experience regarding the removal of our daughter from Austin Creek School, a process we believe was unjust and riddled with inconsistencies. This decision was made by the school principal and fully supported by the superintendent, who chose not to take any action to address the situation.Initially, we were told that our daughter was being removed due to a lack of space. However, this measure was only applied to her, while other students in similar circumstances, including those living farther away or with unexcused absences, were allowed to stay and remain enrolled to this day. Later, we were told that her removal was due to absences, all of which were medically justified and caused by illness. This contradicts the district's own policy, which instructs parents to keep sick children at home.Additionally, other students who missed school for vacations or who did not live in the area faced no consequences, highlighting the inconsistent application of the rules. In one instance, a parent was assured by the school secretary that absences in TK were not a problem, yet in our case, these same absences were used against us.This decision has had a significant emotional impact on our daughter, leaving her confused and distressed. Furthermore, there were irregularities with the waiting list, as our daughter’s position mysteriously changed without clear explanations.Despite raising our concerns, neither the principal nor the superintendent took any steps to review the case or ensure the well-being of our daughter, demonstrating a lack of empathy and a disregard for the equity values the district claims to uphold.We believe in education that prioritizes inclusion, respect, and fairness. By sharing our story, we hope to raise awareness and prevent other families from experiencing similar injustices.Thank you for your attention and for helping us work toward a more just school community.

We reached out to Hannah Bates (principal) on 8/20/2025 in regards to transferring our child out of their assigned school to this campus. At the time, we had concerns over the Junior High merging with the Highschool. We were told that there were 10 students on the wait-list already, but she stressed that hardly any of the people she had reached out to, wanted to remove their now established kids from their current campuses. So the chances seemed pretty likely that we'd get our child in, she made it seem very promising. They sent us a registration packet, we returned it within an hour. Today is 9/9/2025. I have since reached out to Hannah to see what the current status is, and gotten no response back. I can now see why families are opting to not send their children there, after all. Why would I send my child to a campus where the Principal can't even respond to messages, or follow-up with any questions we may have? Such incredible negligence. No thanks, we'll take our chances on the other campus. She has zero sense of urgency. Beware.