PEORIA, AZ — In an hours-long school board meeting Thursday night, the Peoria Unified Governing Board voted unanimously to close two elementary school campuses and turn one of their high schools into a 7th through 12th grade campus.
The district is currently working to make up a $21 million budget deficit for the next fiscal year. About $11 million of that is due to voters rejecting the maintenance and override ballot measure in November’s election. The other $10 million is due to declining enrollment, an issue many other school districts have been facing.
View our comprehensive list of Valley school districts that have recently closed schools.
About 700 students between Kachina and Pioneer Elementary schools will be impacted, and several hundred others will move to a new building as they transition Cactus High School into 7th through 12th grade.
The board also considered the phase-out of the district’s online school, but decided to table the discussion for a future meeting.
As for the future of the two campuses set to close, the board will discuss the potential for those on another date as well.
Peoria Unified is among several other districts that have voted to close schools by the end of this academic year due to declining enrollment.
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The district has identified other ways it will make up the budget deficit, including reducing positions in its schools, furlough days, and more. More information on other measures being taken to balance the budget can be found here.
For more details on boundary adjustments following Thursday night’s vote, Peoria Unified has more information here.
