Here are all the Phoenix-area schools closed or scheduled for closure in recent years

PHOENIX — Arizona has been seeing an increasing number school closures in recent years, largely due to low enrollment and budget issues.

Declining enrollment has an impact on budgets because each student brings thousands of dollars of federal funding to a district.

The universal expansion of the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account school voucher program, which allows families to use public education tax dollars for private school or homeschooling expenses, is one reason for the loss of students.

The ESA program had about 12,000 students before it was opened to all students in fiscal year 2023. Enrollment is now over 100,000, a number that includes students who left the public school system as well as those who were never part of it.

Furthermore, the state has seen a downward trend in the total number of school-aged children.

Another factor behind the school closures is that voters in some districts have rejected requests to increase budgets.

Here’s a list of Valley districts that have approved downsizing plans in recent years:

District that closed schools after 2023-2024

• Paradise Valley Unified School District (3): Sunset Canyon Elementary, Desert Springs Prep Elementary, and Vista Verde Middle School.

Districts that closed schools after 2024-2025

• Cave Creek Unified School District (2): Desert Sun Academy and Lone Mountain Elementary School.
• Isaac School District (2): P.T. Coe and Moya elementary schools.
• Phoenix Elementary School District (2): Heard and Dunbar elementary schools.
• Roosevelt School District (5): Maxine O. Bush Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, V.H. Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition, C.J. Jorgensen Academy of Service Learning and John R. Davis Elementary School.

Districts that approved school closures for after 2025-26

• Alhambra Unified School District (2): Valencia Newcomer and Choice Learning academies.
• Balsz Elementary School District (1): Changing Brunson-Lee Elementary School to STEM-focused Brunson Lee Academy for grades K-5.
• Gilbert Public Schools (1): Pioneer Elementary School.
• Kyrene Elementary School District (3): Kyrene de las Manitas (K-8), Kyrene de la Estrella (K-5), Kyrene de la Colina (K-5).
• Peoria Unified School District (2): Kachina and Pioneer elementary schools.
• Scottsdale Unified School District (2): Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon schools.

District that approved school closures for after 2026-27

• Kyrene Elementary School District (3): Kyrene Traditional Academy (K-8), Kyrene del Pueblo (6-8), Kyrene Akimel A-al (6-8).

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

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