SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The Scottsdale School Board voted to close two schools at the end of the school year — Laguna and Copper Ridge — after several weeks of emotional public comment.
The other two schools on the list for potential closures – Desert Canyon and Redfield – will remain open.
The board vote was 3-2 with members Amy Carney and Carine Werner pushing to delay a decision so the district could discuss other financial options.
We're all about Scottsdale — the schools, the neighborhoods, the businesses, the decisions being made at City Hall and in the community that affect your daily life.
Connect with your community by joining the Your Scottsdale News Facebook Group!
The board majority said they did not make the decision lightly.
“I don’t want to close schools, and I’m deeply frustrated to be in this position,” board member Matthew Pittinsky said.
More than 100 people attended the meeting Tuesday night at Coronado High School. Some parents asked the board to delay the decision for a year. Others, however, pushed for a decision now, saying they needed to plan for the future.
“I’m here to urge you to pause and grant more time to evaluate the data,” said parent Lindsay Powers.
Parents are now considering what they will do next when their schools close at the end of this school year — whether they'll stay in the district or opt for charter or private schools.
Before the board began debating, members acknowledged a recent letter they received from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The letter said the school district violated the Arizona’s Open Meeting Law by not opening up school closure advisory meetings so the public could see what was going on.
Those meetings took place earlier this year with the committee ultimately making a recommendation on three different closing options to the district.
Because the advisory committee's work is already finished, however, the county attorney said it's too late to require the district to take corrective action.
