Scottsdale and other districts considering school closures: Here's what to know
2 schools on the chopping block in Scottsdale
Scottsdale Unified School District's governing board is set to vote on whether to shutter two schools within the district, and some parents say they are devastated by the proposed closure. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach reports.
PHOENIX - Some schools in the Phoenix area could soon be closed permanently, if their district's governing board approve plans to shut them down.
Here's what you should know.
What school districts are considering school closures?
Big picture view:
Currently, at least three school districts in the Valley are considering school closures. They include:
- Gilbert Public Schools
- Kyrene School District
- Scottsdale Unified School District
What are the plans being considered?
Gilbert Public Schools
According to the district's website, their plans call for the closure of Pioneer Elementary at the end of the current school year, in May 2026. Other boundary changes were also proposed as a result of Pioneer's proposed closure.
The district, according to officials, held four community meetings on the plan in November, and the district's governing board is set to vote on the proposal on Jan. 27, 2026.
Kyrene School District
Per the district's Long Range Planning Committee's website, the following eight schools are proposed for closure:
- Akimel A-al Middle, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de la Colina Elementary, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de las Manitas Elementary, located in Tempe
- Kyrene del Milenio Elementary, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de la Mariposa Elementary, located in Tempe
- Kyrene del Pueblo Middle, located in Chandler
- Kyrene Traditional Academy, located in Chandler
The plans call for the closure of Colina, Estrella, Manitas and Milenio during the 2026-2027 school year, followed by the closure of Akimel, Mariposa, Pueblo and Traditional Academy during the 2027-2028 school year.
In an update released on Dec. 3, district officials said Kyrene's governing board has asked staff members to prepare two alternative proposals that would result in the closure of five or six schools. The five-school proposal involves five elementary schools, while the six-school proposal involves four elementary schools and two middle schools.
Per the Dec. 3 update, there will be no vote on the matter until Dec. 16 at the earliest.
Scottsdale Unified School District
On Dec. 9, the district's governing board will meet for a regular meeting.
According to a meeting agenda that was posted to the district's website, the governing board is set to vote on whether to close Echo Canyon K-8 School and Pima Elementary School, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
Why are districts closing schools?
Gilbert Public Schools
The district said they are looking at changes in order to "address enrollment issues that have occurred over time."
"Pioneer Elementary has been the smallest elementary in the district for the past three school years, with a current student enrollment of 268 students," read a portion of the district's website. "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. This small enrollment is making it harder to ensure the district is continuing to provide the same level of high-quality education at Pioneer."
Kyrene School District
District officials gave a rather detailed explanation behind their proposed closures.
On their website, officials said the district currently serves 12,000 students, and that is expected to drop to 11,000 students within the next five years. The district, as currently configured, has room for 20,000 students.
The district said 75% of the enrollment loss is due to declining birth rates. Officials also blamed declining enrollment on an aging population, a rise in real estate costs, and (to a lesser degree) school choice in the form of private schools, charter schools, microschools, as well as online and homeschooling.
Scottsdale Unified School District
School district officials said they, like other districts in the Valley, continue to "face challenges from rising costs, declining enrollment, increased competition and increased cost of living."
"These realities make it increasingly difficult to sustain all of our schools in their current form while continuing to provide the world-class, future-focused education our community expects and deserves," read a portion of a message written by Superintendent Dr. Scott A. Menzel.
During a meeting in November, district officials said they are facing a budget gap that could reach $9 million by 2026.
Have districts in the Valley shuttered schools recently?
In recent years, schools have closed in the Phoenix area as a result of decisions made by the governing board.
Timeline:
According to Gilbert Public School's website, they closed Houston Elementary due to low enrollment in 2021.
In 2024, we reported that Paradise Valley Unified School District voted to close two elementary schools and one middle school.
On their website, Phoenix Elementary School District said they closed Paul Laurence Dunbar School and Maie Bartlett Heard Elementary School at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
The governing boards of Cave Creek Unified School District and Isaac School District also voted to close some of their schools in 2025.
What are people saying?
On Dec. 9, we spoke with parents in Scottsdale over the proposed school closures.
Local perspective:
Parents and teachers we spoke with said they are devastated to know a school they chose to take their children to is at risk of being closed. Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon are two of four ‘school choice’ options within Scottsdale Unified.
"Everyone who's here has chosen to be here. So we live in the district, but since this is open enrollment, we actually are associated with a different school, but we found that this was the best fit for our kids, and I think a lot of other families feel the same way," said one parent.
"I just don't understand how this came to be," said another person.
State lawmaker calls for vote delay
State Rep. Matt Gress, a Republican who represents Arizona's 4th Legislative District, has sent a letter to SUSD's governing board, calling on them to delay the vote until Feb. 1.
What He Said:
"Closing schools has lasting consequences. Before the board takes any action, the public should see a full explanation of the fiscal impact, the alternatives that were considered, and how the district plans to support the students who would be uprooted," read a portion of State Rep. Gress's letter.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered by FOX 10's Kenzie Beach. Information was also gathered from the websites of Gilbert Public Schools, Kyrene School District, Paradise Valley Unified School District, Phoenix Elementary School District, Scottsdale Unified School District, and from previous, relevant FOX 10 news articles.