Tucson Unified School District addresses potential school closures

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo addressed the public for the first time since announcing the potential closure and consolidation of several schools across the district, facing a room of concerned parents who came looking for answers.

Trujillo said the district has put forward six recommendations for school closures and consolidations.

“Last week, starting on Monday, we made a series of six recommendations, five scenarios to be implemented pending governing board approval for 27-28.” Trujillo said.

The first round of closures would affect 4 elementary schools — Hudlow, Cragin, Dunham and Collier — each slated to close and consolidate into nearby campuses at the end of the current school year.

Magee Middle School would move into Sabino High School, and Secrest Middle School would move to Santa Rita High School in the following school year.

The district says that the consolidation plans or the two high schools involve separating day-to-day activities between middle & high schoolers, while encouraging cooperation between teachers across grade levels.

The majority of schools are on the eastside. It’s a decision that TUSD says was sparked by older demographics and declining birth rates in the area.

Trujillo said delivering the news — especially to staff — was one of the most difficult parts of the process.

“It was so emotional and so heartbreaking to have to be in spaces and to tell our employees that their schools would be discussed publicly as candidates for closure.” Trujillo said.

“Our communities don’t want to be here discussing this. But TUSD is not in a vacuum facing these challenges.” Trujillo said.

The district says the consolidations are a direct response to compounding pressures caused by declining enrollment, including a multi-million dollar budget deficit.

Trujillo said the goal is to direct more resources and support toward remaining campuses — and to keep families in the district.

When deciding the fate of each school, and how to move forward, the district prioritized keeping childcare, prioritizing special needs along with kids with disabilities or alternative education, reliable transportation including bus routes, and class sizes.

While the sale of any potentially closed buildings would be put up to a public vote, Trujillo did mention that the potential replacements for the schools would be community assets such as affordable housing.

The district also discussed plans to potentially open a new alternative/special needs school, with the millions of dollars they say will be gained by this decision.

Trujillo says it’s all in the hopes of increasing enrollment in the district.

“I don’t want to lose a single family, I want everyone to stay here in TUSD.” Trujillo said.

Parents from the affected campuses attended the meeting and made clear they were not ready to accept the proposals without pushback. Kathleen Shooshtari and Bridgette Patterson, who have kids at Cragin Elementary and said their families call the Cragin community their home.

“I am disheartened and devastated. My children are disheartened and devastated. We’re a family that’s been at Cragin for 13 years now.” Patterson said.

The parents argued the district had not fully considered Cragin’s capacity and resources, and extended a direct invitation to district officials to come see the campus for themselves.

“We are a larger campus that can accommodate more. We have facilities that are wonderful and updated,” Shooshtari said. “I really think they should just come in and look, and we invite them to come in and see our school and see the heart and the facilities.”

The first round of announcements is not the last. The district says four more potential closures and consolidations are expected in the coming weeks. TUSD is scheduled to formally present the full proposal to the school board on Nov. 10, with a board vote set for Dec. 8.

Trujillo said the district has no choice but to act now.

“We have to put the district in a place where it can grow again, and we have to do it now.” Trujillo said.