PHOENIX — Many Valley school districts are finding themselves in financial hard times, and the list of districts closing buildings continues to grow.
Since 2024, nine school districts have chosen to close school buildings, and a total of 24 schools in the Valley have closed or will close in the near future.
The decision to shutter schools has been based on multiple reasons, depending on the district. The reasons can range from declining enrollment, to failed bond and override measures, but all districts have been closing buildings to cut expenses.
Below is a list of all the districts that have closed schools in recent years:
Paradise Valley Unified
Paradise Valley Unified was the first school district in the Valley to close schools in recent years.
The PVUSD board voted to close three schools, (Sunset Canyon Elementary, Desert Springs Prep Elementary, and Vista Verde Middle School), in February, 2024.
The board at the time cited stagnant to declining enrollment.
The buildings closed at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
A fourth school was considered for closing at the time, but it was left off the list when the ultimate vote was taken.
A year later, some parents and educators told ABC15 that it was a struggle to adjust to their new school situation.
Roosevelt Elementary School District
The Roosevelt Elementary School District also chose to shut down five different school buildings in south Phoenix.
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, C.J. Jorgensen Acadmeny, John R. Davis Elementary, V.H. Lassen Academy, and Maxine O. Bush Elementary were shut down after the 2024-2025 school year.
The board cited a $5 million budget deficit as the reason for closing the schools.
"Roosevelt School District is a microcosm of what’s happening in the state and in the country. We have a declining birth rate in our state, about 29 charter and private schools over-saturating our district, and so what’s happening is we’ve had declining enrollment since 2007," School Board President Shelley Jackson said at the time
Isaac Elementary School District
The Isaac Elementary School District closed two elementary schools, but not by the school board's choice.
In early 2025, the entire school district was on the verge of a shutdown
because of a financial crisis. The state eventually had to take the district over to keep it financially solvent.
As part of the process of reducing the district's $25 million in debt, two schools, Moya Elementary, and P.T. Coe Elementary, were considered for closure.
The school board voted no to closing the buildings, but the state-ordered receiver overruled the board's decision.
Also, the district closed the Isaac Online Prep Academy with the two school buildings.
Cave Creek Unified
Cave Creek Unified went through a drawn out process before it closed two school buildings after the 2024-2025 school year.
The Cave Creek school board originally voted to close Desert Sun Academy, but during the original vote, Lone Mountain Elementary was spared.
Just days after that decision was made, however, the board sent a letter saying “[T]he Governing Board has expressed interest in bringing the matter of Lone Mountain Elementary School back for reconsideration and possible Board action.”
The board eventually chose to shutter Lone Mountain Elementary as well.
Phoenix Elementary School District
The Phoenix Elementary School District decided to close two elementary schools in March 2025.
Heard and Dunbar elementary schools closed two months later.
The school board also voted to reduce and eliminate positions as part of their cost cutting measures.
All told, the cuts made were expected to save the district more than $11 million.
More than 500 students were moved to new buildings because of the two closures.
Kyrene Elementary School District
The Valley district to close the most schools was the Kyrene Elementary School District.
When the district first announced it was considering school closures, eight buildings were named as possible schools to be shuttered.
After months of receiving community feedback, the board eventually voted to close four elementary buildings and two middle schools.
Kyrene de las Manitas, Kyrene de La Estrella, and Kyrene de la Colina will close at the end of this school year.
Kyrene Traditional Academy, Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School, and Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School will shut down after next school year.
The district was facing the loss of nearly $7 million in funding over the next five years, and district officials cited this as the reason for the budget cuts.
Scottsdale Unified
In the wake of a multi-million dollar budget deficit, the Scottsdale Unified School Board voted to close two schools in December.
Pima Elementary School and Echo Canyon School will close at the end of this school year.
Along with the roughly $8-$9 million deficit, school leaders said declining enrollment also played a factor in closing these two buildings.
Both schools have enrollments of under 300 students.
"Sometimes difficult decisions don’t feel like the right one,” Superintendent Dr. Scott A Menzel said during the December meeting. "At the same time, we’re dealing with the financial reality that requires difficult decisions.”
Shortly before the decision was approved to close the two buildings, Menzel sat down with ABC15 to discuss the district's financial situation.
Balsz Elementary School District
Even small school district's aren't immune to financial pressures.
The Balsz Elementary School District will close one of the district's three elementary schools and cut dozens of positions to address a $3 million shortfall.
While the district's board approved closing a school building, which building will close has not been decided.
Another option considered was cutting more positions than the approved proposal and reducing the annual salary increase.
Gilbert Public Schools
The Gilbert Public Schools board voted to close an elementary school.
In a unanimous decision, the board decided to close Pioneer Elementary School at the end of the school year.
The school has been educating kids in the area for decades.
Gilbert officials cited declining enrollment as the reason for the closure.
ABC15's Elenee Dao recently spoke with Rick Brammer, a demographer who has worked with area school districts as they consider shutting down buildings. Hear her full conversation with Brammer in the player below:
DISTRICTS CONSIDERING SCHOOL CLOSURES:
Alhambra Elementary School District
The Alhambra Elementary School Board is considering shutting down two schools to save the district money.
The proposal currently under consideration includes closing Valencia Newcomer School and Choice Learning Academy.
The earliest a decision could come on these closures is February 12.
"Alhambra Elementary School District remains committed to transparency, stability, and proactive planning that puts students first. We appreciate our families’ and community’s continued partnership as we plan carefully for the future,” the district said in a community statement.
Peoria Unified
After voters failed to pass a proposed override, in addition to declining enrollment, Peoria Unified is considering closing school buildings as part of their budget cuts.
In January, the district said they are in a "precarious financial position."
Currently, Kachina and Pioneer Elementarys are mentioned by the district as buildings being considered for closure.
The district is also considering a number of boundary changes and moving grades to new buildings as part of their proposal.
Peoria officials say they're facing a $21 million budget deficit, roughly 50/50 split between the failed override and declining enrollment.
