Village Meadows Elementary faces possible closure in Sierra Vista | Cochise County

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KVOA) – A Sierra Vista elementary school may be the next to close after district leadership voted to shut down its only middle school this week.

The district has already closed two schools starting next year as it struggles with declining enrollment and a $5 million budget shortfall. The latest school closure presentation for the Sierra Vista Unified School District Governing Board indicated Village Meadows Elementary School may not be open next school year, and it may not be the only elementary school on the chopping block.

The impact of Village Meadows merging with Pueblo del Sol Elementary would be “devastating,” parents told News 4 Tucson. In a letter to the Sierra Vista Unified School District, one mother said if Village Meadows closes she will take her two children out of the district.

“This decision carries profound consequences for families like mine and deserves thoughtful reconsideration,” the parent added. “It is not only deeply disappointing, but also disruptive, destabilizing, and harmful to students and families who rely on consistency and trust within their school community.”

In a letter to Village Meadows parents and staff, Terri Romo, the district’s superintendent, and Village Meadows Principal Chris Smith said consolidation is in part to strengthen both general and special education programs.

“By consolidating campuses, it gives us the opportunity to grow programming rather than diluting it among multiple sites,” they wrote. “This allows us to deepen supports, expand opportunities, and ensure stronger, more consistent services for all learners.”

Next school year could include one high school and either three or four “neighborhood schools” for grades K-8 in the district. One of the neighborhood schools would include a preschool. If the district decides to go with three neighborhood schools, two more elementary schools would close.

Many at this week’s board meeting spoke out against the possibility of Carmichael Elementary School closing. Shanequa Matthias, a Carmichael Elementary School teacher, said 75% of students get picked up by a parent or walk to school.

“Our families rely on that,” Matthias told the board. “Closing Carmichael would place a major burden on families who may not be able to get their children across town. Not to mention it does not guarantee those students stay in our district.”

A big driver of consolidations is enrollment. The Sierra Vista Unified School District says it has more than 2,000 fewer students than it did 10 years ago.

Any future elementary school closures for schools like Village Meadows would not come before a public meeting process occurs. A minimum of ten days later after that is when a closure could appear on a Sierra Vista Unified School District Governing Board meeting agenda.