Gilbert Public Schools set to vote on school closure plan: What to know
GILBERT, Ariz. - An East Valley school district is set to decide on the fate of one of their schools during a governing board meeting.
Here's what to know about Gilbert Public School's proposed plan.
What are they proposing?
Under the district's proposal, Pioneer Elementary School, which is located near Baseline and Greenfield Roads, will be closed in May 2026, which is the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
What they're saying:
"If these changes are approved, any Pioneer family including those families currently on open enrollment will have the opportunity to seek attendance at any GPS school for the 2026-2027 school year," read a portion of the school district's website.
The proposal also moves a small area that is currently covered by Greenfield Junior High to Mesquite Junior High. That small area is currently covered by Pioneer Elementary.
"Over the years, the district has continued to work on the entire boundaries of each elementary school feed into one junior high," read a portion of the statement.
Why is Pioneer Elementary up on the chopping block?
On their website, district officials mentioned that Pioneer currently has a student body of 268 students, and that for the past three school years, Pioneer has been the smallest elementary school within the district.
Local perspective:
"There are currently two classrooms per grade level, and if projected enrollment losses continue, there soon could be just one classroom in one or more grade levels," read a portion of the website. "This small enrollment is making it harder to ensure the district is continuing to provide the same level of high-quality education at Pioneer."
Where will kids go to school after the closure?
The district says if the closure is approved, the boundaries of the following schools will be expanded to include areas currently covered by Pioneer. The schools include:
- Carol Rae Ranch Elementary, located to the west of Houston Avenue and Recker Road.
- Harris Elementary, located near Baseline Road and Harris Drive in Mesa.
- Val Vista Lakes Elementary, located near Raleigh Bay Drive and Val Vista.
The district has uploaded a map of the proposed boundary changes.
How will the affected kids get to class?
District officials said buses will take students to their new school. They also say that buses will be offered for Greenfield Junior High students who arte affected by the boundary changes, which will allow current 7th grade students to finish their 8th grade year at Greenfield.
What will happen to the teachers and staff members at Pioneer?
The district said they will work with staff members at Pioneer to find a position for each of them within the district, and that Pioneer staff members will be given top priority on open positions.
"It is anticipated some additional teachers and support staff will be needed at Carol Rae Ranch, Harris, and Val Vista Lakes Elementary due to proposed boundary changes. Teachers and support staff will be needed at other campuses across GPS due to attrition (retirements and resignations)," read a portion of the website.
Have there been other schools that have closed in recent years?
Big picture view:
A number of school districts within the Valley have decided to close some of their schools in recent years. One of them, in fact, is Gilbert Public Schools. On their website, they said they closed Houston Elementary due to low enrollment in 2021.
Kyrene School District
In December, we reported that Kyrene School District, which serves students in parts of Ahwatukee, Chandler and Tempe, decided to close six of their schools.
Of the six schools, three are located in Ahwatukee, while the others are located in Chandler and Tempe.
District officials cited declining enrollment as a reason to close the schools.
Paradise Valley Unified School District
In 2024, we reported that Paradise Valley Unified School District voted to close Sunset Canyon Elementary, Desert Springs Prep Elementary, and Vista Verde Middle School.
In our report, we noted that enrollment within the district declined in recent years.
Peoria Unified School District
In January, officials with Peoria Unified rolled out a draft proposal that calls for the closure of two elementary schools, along with the repurposing of a number of other schools.
School district officials said they are in "a precarious financial position based on the very real impact of our failed override and declining enrollment." The district had placed an override measure on the November 2024 ballot. 51.43% of voters who took part in the election voted ‘no’ on the measure.
The district's governing board page states that a vote on the matter is scheduled for March 12.
Other Districts
The governing boards of Cave Creek Unified School District and Isaac School District also voted to close some of their schools in 2025.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from the website of Gilbert Public Schools, with supplemental information gathered from previous, relevant FOX 10 news reports.