PARADISE VALLEY, AZ — The Paradise Valley Unified School Board has voted to close three schools at the end of the school year as enrollment numbers decline.
The schools impacted are Sunset Canyon Elementary, Desert Springs Prep Elementary, and Vista Verde Middle School. The closures of those schools are effective July 1, 2024.
All of the board members who voted yes to closing the schools said this was not an easy decision for them, however, they needed to be fiscally responsible.
"In the end, they're buildings. Some people say, 'Well it's not a building.' It's just a building," said board member Tony Pantera.
To that, the audience responded by saying, “It’s a community,” and showed their disappointment and disagreement.
“The community can exist anywhere,” Pantera responded.
Parents and teachers that ABC15 spoke with say they’re disappointed but not surprised. They felt the decision was already made before Thursday’s meeting.
The district says they will work to transition students from their original schools to new ones in the boundaries they also approved Thursday. More information regarding the closures and new boundaries can be found here.
Teachers at the impacted schools will not be laid off. The district is also working to transition them to other schools.
The district had considered closing Hidden Hills Elementary School, but it was not included in the closure decision on Thursday. The superintendent said they want to further study the impacts for that school and will revisit the decision in the future. No timeline has been set.
PVUSD says it has lost hundreds of K-6 students in the last two years, and expects that will continue along with the city's stagnant growth.
Some say state vouchers for private schools and the lack of affordable housing are leading to enrollment decline.
The district previously told ABC15 they would save $600,000 for each school closed.
The only board member who voted against the school closures was Sandra Christensen, who felt like the process was not transparent to their community. She filed a claim to the Arizona Attorney General saying that the district and its board members violated open meeting laws in the way the committee for the school closures met. Superintendent Troy Bales denies that claim and said they will hear from the AG’s office sometime this month.
