The Glendale Elementary School District governing board will take another step forward in their proposed plans to close or repurpose a handful of schools, and reorganize school boundaries, due to declining enrollment.
Right now, the district projects a budget deficit topping $17.2 million by fiscal year 2022.
Board members will discuss several scenarios related to instructional models, staffing and facility usage at their next study session on Thursday, February 11, from 3:30pm-5:30pm. They will also get input from the public.
Members could take official action regarding school closures as soon as March.
The district began looking deeper into declining enrollment in August 2019, and attributes enrollment changes over the past six years to changing demographics, the draw of charter schools and plummeting birth rates.
In October 2020, the board analyzed which schools to close or repurpose based on factors like the life of the facility, program changes, statutory requirements, declining enrollment and population density.
The proposed plan would occur in phases, starting next school year:
Phase 1 – 2021-2022
Proposed Closures – Imes and Sine
- Imes students are reassigned to Burton, Landmark and Smith
- Sine students are reassigned to Burton and Horizon
Proposed Boundary Changes:
- American, Landmark, Horizon and Burton students are reassigned based on the proposed boundary grid
- Desert Spirit will assume additional students
- Smith will assume additional students
- Sunset Vista will no longer have students east of Grand Avenue
Phase 2 – 2022-2023
Proposed Closure – Coyote Ridge, Desert Garden, and Bicentennial North
- Coyote Ridge students are reassigned to Discovery
- Coyote Ridge is re-purposed
- Desert Garden students are reassigned to Challenger or Mensendick and are reconfigured to K-8 models
- Desert Garden is re-purposed
- Bicentennial North students are reassigned to Bicentennial South or Mensendick
- Bicentennial South is reconfigured to a K-8 model
Proposed Boundary Changes
- Students are reassigned based on the proposed boundary grid
- Jack is reconfigured to a K-8 model
- Mensendick is reconfigured to a K-8 model
Read a copy of the full presentation below.