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Two Phoenix district schools may close: 'Symptom of underfunding'

By
Published  February 13, 2025 9:25pm MST
Phoenix
FOX 10 Phoenix

Two Phoenix district schools may close

The Brief

    • Two schools within the Phoenix Elementary School District are at risk of closing.
    • Those who don't want the schools to close say it's a symptom of underfunding.

PHOENIX - Two elementary schools in a Phoenix district may close their doors in three months.

The Phoenix Elementary School District Board on Feb. 13 heard from parents who support the closures, and others who don't.

What we know:

Hundreds of Heard Elementary and Dunbar Elementary students may soon have to attend a new school in the fall.

It's a potential change not sitting well with a lot of community members and parents.

Those supporting the closures pointed to current and future financial needs of the district.

What they're saying:

"It is fiscally responsible, and it centers around continuing to support the needs of our students so we can continue to improve outcomes," a speaker said during public comment.

Another speaker said, "It will be better for the district as a whole to close some schools because, with the number of students we have and the number of buildings we have, we are being spread too thin."

(Related) Phoenix school dist. to hold meeting on closures

The backstory:

The school district says an expected 14% drop in enrollment will affect the district by 2033.

Some in opposition say this is a larger issue facing public education across the state, and say the choice to close schools will not fix that issue.

"School closures are a symptom of underfunding, they're not a solution. Instead of closing schools, this district board should be fighting against state and federal budget cuts to public education," a public commenter said.

Another person remarked, "Why does the children's education need to get affected due to these cuts. Heard Elementary deserves more funding, and it is not acceptable for them not to have book fairs and very few educational field trips."

A call for transparency was made by many speakers.

Some directly tied the fate of these two schools to their family's future enrollment.

"If we see the school leaves, I guarantee we'll probably leave in two or three years," a parent said.

Another agrees, saying, "If Heard closes, my son will never step foot in a Phoenix elementary school again."

What's next:

The closure of these two schools is being considered plan A, and plan B involves cutting several programs.

There are two more public hearings regarding these potential closures. The next one is on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m. at Capitol School.

The third is set for Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 5:15 p.m. at Dunbar Elementary.

The Source

  • Phoenix Elementary School District Board meeting on Feb. 13.

PhoenixEducationNews