PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — A West Valley school district is starting the second semester of the school year with uncertainty regarding two of its schools.
The Peoria Unified School District posted online and sent an email to parents and families that it plans to discuss the following:
- Closing Kachina and Pioneer Elementary schools next year
- Changing Cactus High School into a seventh through 12th-grade school, so Oakwood would become a pre-K through sixth-grade school by the 2028-2029 school year
- Changing Peoria eCampus to operate as a ninth through 12th-grade model only
- Moving Peoria Flex Academy from Peoria High School to a different location
- Expanding MET Professional Academy in Old Main at Peoria High School
District officials emphasize that no decisions have been made. The Governing Board will hold a retreat on Thursday, starting at 9 a.m., to go over these issues, plus review the district budget and a new capital master plan.
Later that day, at 6 p.m., the Governing Board will have its first regular school board meeting of the year. That’s where officials could get the ball rolling on possibly closing the two schools with a call for a public hearing in the future.
“The public hearing is not only part of the legal process, but hearing from the community is the right thing to do before any Governing Board decisions are made,” Dr. Kenneth Christopher “KC” Somers said in the statement.
District officials said the proposals are just the first phase in a “multi-stage process” to address declining enrollment and budget troubles. The district said the schools that eventually send students to Cactus High, known as the Cactus High School Cluster, have seen the biggest drop in enrollment.
“This proposal for the first phase of changes will impact the least number of students, seamlessly transition transportation options, and create more choice for families,” PUSD said.
Peoria Unified School District, like many districts in Arizona, has seen a sharp drop in enrollment, which is partly due to aging neighborhoods and declining birth rates
But voters also rejected a budget override last November. The district said at the time it had to cut $33 million for the next three years. PUSD also said last year it used $5.3 million in reserves to help pay its staff.
PUSD could be on the road to join other Arizona districts in closing campuses. Last month, the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board voted to shut down two campuses. Days later, the Kyrene Elementary School District approved closing six schools by 2028.
In December 2024, the Roosevelt School District approved a plan to close five schools, and in February of that year, the Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board approved the closure of three schools.
Gilbert Public Schools is considering closing an elementary school.
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