Peoria Unified parents concerned about how proposed school closures might affect services

GLENDALE — The Peoria Unified School District Governing Board heard from the community Thursday night ahead of the potential closure of two K-8 schools.

The district is considering a plan to close Kachina and Pioneer elementary schools due to low enrollment and a $21 million projected budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. Pioneer (near 63rd Avenue and Greenway Road) currently has 419 students, and Kachina (near 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road) has 263 students.

Peoria Unified currently has 42 schools serving more than 36,000 K-12 students.

The plan under consideration would move students in sixth grade and below to Canyon and Foothills elementary schools. It would also move seventh and eighth graders at the two schools to Cactus High School, creating a campus for grades 7-12.

Parents respond to Peoria Unified school closure proposal

Kelsi Wachler is a parent with three children at Pioneer Elementary. She said she’s concerned about moving to a different community, but more than that, she’s worried her kids won’t be able to get the services they need.

“I have three daughters who have IEPs [individualized education program] and I’m concerned about whether combining these two schools, if they’ll be able to keep up with the appropriate services. … They would have to accommodate those kids by hiring on more staff, and I saw on the budget cut that they’re trying to cut back on staff,” she said.

Other parents like Donato Ciarlo attended Thursday’s community hearing at Cactus High to understand why the governing board is considering the closures and what his community thinks about the plan.

“I feel like their minds are made up, and as far as on a budget aspect, it’s like these are the things that they have to do. … I’m just here just to see what happens, see the rest of the parents, see what their thoughts are,” he said.

Peoria Unified Superintendent Kenneth Somers said during a January meeting that the plan is based on an assessment of the district’s enrollment trends, property and financial sustainability.

The district is projecting a loss of around 1,000 students a year over the next two years. That’s $5 million in state funding lost per 1,000 students.

The district proposed the school closures after its budget increase request was denied by voters in the November 2025 election. That means the budget will face a $33 million reduction spread out over three years.

A district spokesperson said the soonest the governing board will hold a final vote will be at its March 12 meeting.

The community can still submit feedback about the plan online.

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

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