More school closures could be coming in the West Valley

The Glendale Elementary School District is considering school closures due to declining enrollment.

During a governing board special session last month, district officials discussed the projected financial and enrollment trends.

Superintendent Cindy Segotta-Jones said any potential closures would be determined based on data with the focus on safe and quality education for students.

“Schools operating substantially below their design capacity may be considered for consolidation to maximize facility usage, improve operational efficiencies and redirect those resources for student achievement. We do know currently what the capacity is of each of our sites and currently our student enrollment does not meet that capacity. We are under capacity,” she said.

Currently, Glendale Elementary has 12 schools with 400-900 students enrolled. Nine of those schools will have over 600 students this year.

According to district projections, only three schools will have over 600 students by 2035, with the other nine ranging from 300-500 students.

“Current and projected population density as well as the need to safeguard district boundaries to ensure the district remains positioned for future enrollment growth and financial sustainability will be considered,” Segotta-Jones said.

The meeting also covered potential affect of a ballot measure that, if approved by voters in November, would require districts in Maricopa and Pinal counties to spend at least 60% of their budget on classroom instruction.

The Glendale Elementary budget report shows an $11 million gap between classroom and non-classroom spending that would need to be closed to comply with that requirement, a financial concern that could affect closure decisions.

That’s on top of a projected $13 million-$14 million loss of revenue over the next decade based on declining student levels. State education funding is tied to enrollment numbers.

Recommendations for Glendale Elementary closures could be made in January 2027, with schools potentially closing before the 2027-28 school year.

Public districts across the Valley have been closing schools in recent years as enrollment declines.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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