PHOENIX – After months of discussions and community meetings, members of Kyrene School District’s governing board voted on Dec. 16 to close some of its schools.
Here’s what to know.
What area does Kyrene School District serve?
Big picture view:
According to the district’s website, Kyrene currently has 17 elementary schools, six middle schools and two K-8 schools, and the district covers all the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix, as well as parts of Chandler, Guadalupe, Tempe, as well as a portion of the Gila River Indian Community.
What schools are they closing?
Local perspective:
During their meeting on Tuesday, the governing board approved a plan that closes the following schools:
Elementary Schools
- Kyrene de la Colina, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de la Estrella, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de las Manitas, located in Tempe
K-8 School
- Kyrene Traditional Academy, located in Chandler
Middle Schools
- Akimel A-al, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene del Pueblo, located in Chandler
Were there other closure proposals involving other schools?
The plan ultimately adopted by Kyrene’s governing board is known as “Alternate Proposal #1,” and they considered two other plans.
Dig deeper:
The two plans that were ultimately not chosen involved a second alternative proposal that called for closing five schools, as well as the initial proposal, which called for closing eight schools.
Initial Proposal
- Akimel A-al Middle, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de la Colina Elementary, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de la Estrella Elementary, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de las Manitas Elementary, located in Tempe
- Kyrene del Milenio Elementary, located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix
- Kyrene de la Mariposa Elementary, located in Tempe
- Kyrene del Pueblo Middle, located in Chandler
- Kyrene Traditional Academy, located in Chandler
Alternate Proposal #2
- Kyrene de la Colina
- Kyrene de la Estrella
- Kyrene del Milenio
- Kyrene de las Manitas
- Kyrene Traditional
Is there a timeframe on when the schools will close?
On their website, Kyrene School District officials laid out a timeline on when the schools will close, as well as when other associated changes will occur.
Timeline:
2026-2027 School Year
Changes this school year involve the district’s elementary schools.
- Colina, Estrella, and Manitas will close
- Kyrene de los Lagos and Kyrene del Norte, located in Ahwatukee and Tempe respectively, will become open enrollment-only schools.
- Boundary changes for Kyrene de la Esperanza Elementary (Ahwatukee), Kyrene de las Lomas Elementary (Ahwatukee), Kyrene del Milenio Elementary (Ahwatukee), Kyrene de la Mirada Elementary (Chandler), and Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary (Ahwatukee).
2027-2028 School Year
Changes this school year will involve the district’s middle schools, as well one of the district’s K-8 schools Kyrene Traditional Academy.
- Kyrene Traditional Academy, Akimel A-al Middle School, and Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School will close.
- Boundary changes for Kyrene Altadeña Middle School (Ahwatukee), Kyrene Aprende Middle School (Chandler), Kyrene Centennial Middle School (Ahwatukee) and Kyrene Middle School (Tempe).
Why is Kyrene closing schools?
We previously reported that according to district officials, their schools can serve 20,000 students, but there are only 12,000 students at this time. The figure is also expected to drop to 11,000 students within the next five years.
Officials with Kyrene also said 75% of the enrollment loss is due to declining birth rates, while also blaming declining enrollment on an aging population, a rise in real estate costs, and (to a lesser degree) school choice in the form of private schools, charter schools, microschools, online schooling, and homeschooling.
What are Kyrene School District officials saying about the closures?
Following the governing board’s decision, the district released a message from Superintendent Laura Toenjes, where she talked about the closure’s impact.
What She Said:
In her message, Toenjes said the board’s decision is “the result of listening, learning and weighing the real human impact alongside the long-term sustainability of our district.”
Toenjes also recognized the feeling some in the community have over the closures.
“For many in our Kyrene community, this news will bring sadness, uncertainty and a deep sense of loss,” a portion of the message reads. “Our schools are more than buildings. They hold memories, relationships and traditions that shape families and neighborhoods. It is okay to grieve what is changing, and we honor what these schools have meant to generations of Kyrene students.”
Toenjes also said the district is planning a number of measures for students, their families, and staff members, including welcome events at schools that will receive students affected by the closure, and staff transition measures.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from the website of Kyrene School District, and from previous, relevant FOX 10 news articles.
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