PHOENIX — As the Isaac School District works to figure out its financial crisis of more than $20 million, Isaac School District staff were notified Tuesday afternoon that two elementary schools as well as its online academy are being considered for closures at the end of this school year.
According to an email sent to staff and confirmed by a school board member, the district said it’s looking to close Moya Elementary, P.T. Coe Elementary, and the Isaac Online Prep Academy at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. The email said, “Staff will be reassigned based on district needs.” A school board member told ABC15 there will be a public hearing next month to discuss the potential school closures.
According to data from the district in February, P.T. Coe Elementary has an enrollment of 425 students. Moya Elementary has 374 students, and the Isaac Online Prep Academy has 238 students. It’s unclear how many staff members are at each school.
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The Isaac School District, which serves about 5,000 students in west Phoenix, has seen a steep drop in enrollment in recent years. School leaders say the decrease in per-pupil funding contributed to a massive budget deficit.
The district was placed under state control in January after estimates showed it’s around $28 million in debt. Since then, officials overseeing the school have been making decisions to get themselves out of their financial crisis, including letting go of more than 80 staff members and outsourcing certain positions.
Isaac school board president Patricia Jimenez, shared the following statement with ABC15:
"I was informed yesterday about the potential closure of PT Coe, Moya, and the online school next year. At this point, we are still gathering more information from the receiver to fully understand the situation. Two public hearings are scheduled for April to discuss these matters. Until we have more details, it would be premature to provide a comprehensive statement or reaction. We are committed to transparency and will share additional information with the community as it becomes available."
It is still currently unclear where students from those schools would go, and families at PT Coe Elementary tell ABC15 they’re nervous about the possible closures.
“The other schools around us, they’re going to be packed and it’s going to be worse for the teachers to teach. It’s going to be like more stressful for the kids because we want the school local,” said Nuvia Valdez, a PT Coe Elementary parent.
It’s unclear how many staff members would be affected. Marisol Garcia, the president of the Arizona Education Association and an Isaac school teacher, said teacher contracts should be going out this week and that some educators were told they may or may not be given contracts for the following year.
Garcia said she’s disappointed with the consideration of school closures, however, she said it is not surprising.
“I don’t know how that helps the students,” she said of the possible school closures. “That’s our biggest concern. Larger class sizes, more kids in a school that’s maybe older. We’re really concerned about that.”
ABC15 reached out to officials overseeing the district for comment and is waiting other responses.
The next school board meeting is slated for Thursday, March 27.
The district told families it will have public meetings in the coming months before making a decision:
- April 3, 5:00 PM – Public meeting at Isaac Middle School
- April 24, 5:00 PM – Public meeting and call to the public at Isaac Middle School
- May 15, 5:00 PM – Regular board meeting at Isaac Middle School
