PEORIA, AZ — The Peoria Unified School District is the latest school district to announce it will consider school closures to deal with budget woes.
In a release Monday, Peoria Unified leaders say the district is in a "precarious financial position," based on the failed override vote and declining enrollment.
At the school board meeting on Thursday, board members are set to discuss a draft proposal that considers school closures, repurposing, and boundary adjustments.
Included in the draft proposal:
- Closing Kachina and Pioneer Elementary Schools and repurposing the buildings.
- District officials tell ABC15 that Pioneer has 419 students enrolled, while Kachina has 263.
- Kindergarten through 6th-grade students from those two schools would be split between Canyon and Foothills elementary schools.
- Cactus High School would add 7th and 8th-grade students from Kachina, Pioneer, Canyon, and Foothills elementary schools.
- Also, 7th and 8th grade students from Oakwood Elementary would have the option to move to Cactus High School, and all of those students would be moved 2028-29, and Oakwood would then hold Pre-K through 6th grade students.
- Peoria's eCampus would close for students between Kindergarten and 8th grade; 9th-12th grade would not be impacted.
- Peoria Flex Academy would move from Peoria High School to a repurposed location.
- The MET Professional Academy would be able to expand in Old Main at Peoria High School.
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No decisions have been made regarding any of the proposed changes.
District leaders say this proposal is the first phase of a multi-stage process to maintain the district's finances.
They add that Cactus High School and its feeder schools have seen the sharpest decline in enrollment.
Multiple other Valley school districts have considered school closures as part of cost-cutting measures in recent years.
The Kyrene Elementary School District board voted to close four elementary schools and two middle schools last month to deal with a $7 million funding shortfall in the coming years.
Also in December, the Scottsdale Unified School Board approved the closure of two schools to deal with declining enrollment.
In December of 2024, the Roosevelt School Board decided to close five schools in south Phoenix.
Also in 2024, three schools in the Paradise Valley Unified School District were closed because of falling enrollment.
