PARADISE VALLEY, AZ — Dozens of parents and teachers gathered Tuesday evening to oppose potential school closures in the Paradise Valley Unified School District.
"I was devastated. Love the school, love the community. We really fill a niche for our students and our families, and it just felt like they were making a terrible mistake," said Nicole Berg, a teacher at Desert Springs Preparatory Elementary School.
"We feel like that the only reason that our school is being considered for closure is because of the physical size," said Becca Salay, a parent of students at Desert Springs Prep. “And all of the extremely positive things that are happening that our teachers are doing, that our students are learning just aren’t being taken into consideration.”
Those four schools include Hidden Hills Elementary, Sunset Canyon, Desert Springs Prep, and Vista Verde Middle School.
The district says they have lost hundreds of K-6 students in the last two years, and they are expecting that will continue along with the city's stagnant growth.
"If you have a declining enrollment at a school, it's very difficult to have a full program for the students," said Nancy Case, a governing board member in the Paradise Valley Unified School District.
While some board members see the need for closures, parents at the meeting believe there are different options. They say they want the district to find more creative solutions to save money.
One board member expressed her concerns about the human impact.
"There is fiscal and then there is a human aspect to this too and we have to balance both,” said PVUSD Governing Board Member Sandra Christensen.
"Obviously, cuts need to be made, but in my opinion, maybe cuts should be looked in different areas besides classrooms and school buildings," said Greg Londot, a Hidden Hills Elementary teacher.
Some say state vouchers for private schools and the lack of affordable housing are leading to enrollment decline.
The district says they would save $600,000 for each school closed. A final vote on whether to shut them down takes place on February 8.
