Scottsdale Unified School District hosts expo showcasing its public schools amid declining enrollment
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The Scottsdale Unified School District hosts an education expo at Coronado High School for parents and students to learn about the districts' 30 different schools.
It comes at a time when school enrollment is declining.
This is the first ever Scottsdale School District Expo and the gymnasium is decked out tonight.
All 30 schools are represented, along with a variety of special programs.
This district, like others, is locked in a battle to attract every possible pupil.
Some 20,000 students go to a Scottsdale Unified School District school, but enrollment is dropping in public schools across the board.
Several factors, from the pandemic to housing and school vouchers are all playing a role.
"And I think that when parents come, and they get to ask all the schools, I hope that they have that same feeling of where their child is supposed to grow and learn and where they will find their people," said one parent, Ashley Kirshy.
That’s among the many reasons SUSD is hosting the expo at Coronado: for a chance to speak with principals, teachers, staff and learn about topics from specialized programs to family support services.
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"But it has asked us to up our game and make sure the community knows we’re here for you. We know what your kids want and if we don’t know, we don’t have it come tell us because we’re invested in their future just as much as families are," says SDUS Assistant Superintendent Lea Mitchell.
Since 2022, the ESA voucher program has exploded in popularity. It went from 12,000 to 75,000 students whose families use public school funds - about $7,500 per student - toward private schooling or homeschooling.
A recent report from the Grand Canyon Institute shows $360 million of that money is sitting in ESA accounts, unspent.
"Arizona schools are just crippled. We truly truly doing way too much with way too few resources and it’s hurting our students. That’s where the voucher program is designed to truly dismantle public education," said Beth Lewis with Save Our Schools.
SUSD is an A-rated district with 29 of its 30 schools receiving a grade of "A" or "B" from the state.
Even that’s not enough to ensure a bright future.
"I really, really wanna make them feel valued and loved because they’re doing something I can’t do for my own child and I want my child to thrive and have the best," said Ashley.
Arizona is the 49th state in the nation for funding public schools. Paradise Valley already closed three schools last year and now the Roosevelt School District is considering shutting six of its schools.