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The Republic
- The Kyrene School District will close six schools by the 2027-28 school year due to declining enrollment.
- These are the first school closures in the district’s 137-year history.
- The district expects to save up to $5.8 million over five years from the closures, though this won’t fully cover a projected $7 million funding loss.
Kyrene School District will close six schools, marking the first time the district has closed a school in its 137-year history.
The district originally planned to close nine of its 25 schools following a Sept. 16 governing board meeting, but proposed alternative models that will impact fewer schools and families leading up to the December board meeting.
The board on Dec. 16 voted unanimously to proceed to close four elementary schools and two middle schools by the 2027-28 school year.
Kyrene School District has been experiencing a steady decline in enrollment for over two decades. The district is expected to lose $7 million in funds over the next five years due to the decline.
According to the district, the closures would allow the district to save up to $5.8 million in personnel and operational costs over the next five years.
Board Vice President Triné Nelson said the closures won’t make up for the funding loss, but they help address the district’s budget issues while honoring the community’s desire to close fewer schools than planned.
“I want to make sure that we are able to meet our legal obligation, but not delay action — to give people some certainty so they can start to plan for their new normals,” she said.
Families, teachers impacted by Kyrene decision
“There will be a mass exodus from this district based on this decision today,” said Angela Fout-Nolle, a parent at Kyrene de la Mirada Elementary School.
Fout-Nolle was hoping to send her child to Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School, which she said has an incredible special needs department. By closing the school, she said the district is denying equitable access to education and will create a greater funding loss by not serving the community.
“The choices that they’ve made will yield repercussions for the district,” she said.
Antonie Contreras has three children attending Kyrene schools, but her middle child with special needs will be the most affected, she said.
According to Contreras, teachers at Akimel A-al Middle School had helped her son succeed academically. With more students attending Kyrene’s existing schools due to the closures, she’s concerned about the impact on his learning.
“You want to look at what’s best for your kids and special needs kids ― they need more of that one on one,” she said.
Contreras considered leaving the district as a result of the closures.
For Rachelle Erb, a teacher at Kyrene del Milenio Elementary School, the closures spared her school from the district’s initial proposal. But her son attends Akimel A-al Middle School, which will close.
“I just got put in this horrible situation where it was a lose-lose,” she said.
Erb had planned for her daughter to attend Akimel A-al with her son in the upcoming school year, but doesn’t want to risk separating her from her friends when it closes the following year. Now, she’s considering taking her kids to separate middle schools.
Which schools will be closing?
Three of the four elementary schools will be closing in the upcoming 2026-27 school year: Kyrene de la Colina, Kyrene de la Estrella, and Kyrene de las Manitas. Kyrene Traditional Academy will close in the 2027-28 school year.
Both middle schools will close in the 2027-28 school year. These schools are Kyrene Akimel A-al and Kyrene del Pueblo.
Valley districts struggle with shifting demographics
Kyrene Elementary currently serves about 12,000 students, roughly 40% fewer than in 2001. It’s not the only district struggling with shifting demographics.
Outside of the Kyrene School District, many school districts in Arizona are seeing similar enrollment declines. Dropping birth rates, the growth of Arizona’s school voucher program, and high home prices are among the reasons districts cite for declining student numbers.
Recently, Scottsdale Unified School District voted to close two of its schools and Phoenix Union High School District announced it was cutting 167 positions. Both districts cited declining enrollment as reasons for their decisions.
Mesa Public Schools, the state’s largest school district by number of students, has seen an enrollment drop of over 5,000 students in the past four years. That’s projected to continue, with high school seniors outnumbering incoming kindergarteners by more than 1,100, according to the district.
Coverage of education solutions on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is partially supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
