The Phoenix (Arizona) Elementary School District has put off a planned vote on whether to close two of its schools.
AZFamily.com reports that the district has proposed shuttering Dunbar Elementary and Heard Elementary schools at the end of the 2024-25 academic year because of a decline in enrollment.
The board vote was scheduled for a Tuesday night meeting, but the item was removed from the agenda. The board has not said when it plans to reschedule the vote.
The district has been considering two options:
Closing Dunbar and Heard Elementary schools and moving hundreds of students to other campuses would save just over $2 million. The unused property would then be leased out.
The second option would entail major cuts to district offices and pre- and after-school programs that include sports. Dunbar and Heard would remain open, but district officials said the proposed cuts would not save enough money.
Superintendent Deborah Gonzalez says the board need to make a decision soon on the fate of the two schools.
"Unfortunately, that means we’re going to hold contracts," said Gonzalez. "We’re not going to be able to issue contracts on time, and we’re also going to have to delay open enrollment because we have to find out what the future will be.”
The district said the contracts for certified staff, which includes teachers, are supposed to be sent out on March 15.
The district is looking at school closings because enrollment has declined by nearly 29% over the past decade. It's anticipating another 14% enrollment drop by 2033.
If the schools are closed, students from Dunbar would be relocated to Bethune School, and students from Heard would be moved to Capitol School. Dunbar serves 158 students, and Heard serves 446, according to last year's state enrollment data.
