PHOENIX — The red carpet was out at Kyrene del Milenio in Phoenix as students returned to school for the 2026-27 academic year.
While many were excited to come back for the new school year, some were also nervous, as some students are now attending a new school after their own campuses closed.
About 80 students from Kyrene de la Estrella Elementary now attend Kyrene del Milenio Elementary in Phoenix. Estrella was one of three Kyrene schools that closed at the end of the last school year.
“That was hard. But I’m hopeful. I think that it's going to be a good year, fresh start. If it was going to happen, it's not just happening to one kid, it's happening to many. So, we're all in the same boat. Maybe they'll bond over that, too,” said Casey Kimball. Her daughter attended Estrella last year.
The closure came due to lower enrollment and the need to balance the budget. The district will be closing three more campuses at the end of this current school year.
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For Heather Wick and her kids, they’ve been impacted a little more. Her two elementary students are going to a new school this year, and her eldest student’s school will close at the end of this academic year.
“We are feeling hopeful to make new friends. Change is always a little difficult. There's a little bit of sadness for the people we aren't here with this year,” Wick told ABC15.
Milenio’s principal, Michael Lamp, says they’ve been doing what they can to ensure the new students on their campus feel welcome.
“When we put together classes, we made sure Estrella kids were bundled together to make sure they had friendly faces when they walked into the other night to meet the teacher,” he said.
Now with the campuses merging, Lamp said they have more students on campus. At the end of the last school year, Lamp said they had 385 enrolled students. Starting this year, they’re a little over 500.
Fourth grade teacher Sara Stecyk said last year, they had three teachers per grade level and now they have four per grade level.
“Estrella did a great job placing their students in here with familiar faces and friends,” she said. "Just day one, I just felt like it wasn’t us and them. It’s just Milenio, and we’re very excited about it."
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