Tucson, โขAZ – The Amphitheater Public Schools district in Southern Arizona โขis considering closingโข up to five schools nextโ year as itโ faces budget challenges. โฃThe district, โestablished more than 130 years ago, currently โฃoperates 22 schools: 12โ elementary schools, two โK-8s, three middle schools, and three high schools, along โฃwiht โฃAmphi Academy Online and the Rillito Center for special education.
Superintendent Kristinโ Jaeger โขacknowledged the difficulty of the potential closures โin a letter, stating, โค”The closureโ of schools is โขone of the most difficult decisions a school districtโ can faceโฆit is indeed our responsibility toโ ensure we balance our budget, โuse our facilities wisely, and provide strong school communities โคand programs where ourโ students thrive.”
The district has formed โฃaโ budget โฃadvisory council to โidentify cost-saving measures and is evaluating factors such as birth rates, transportation needs, and community impact.โฃ
Dana Weissman,aโ parent โwhose son attends Donaldson โฃElementary – the same school she attended decades ago – expressed disappointment โฃat the possibilityโ of a โschool closure. “We were hoping he would spend his โขentire elementary time here at Donaldson, and to hear itโ might not be aโ possibility, we’re very disappointed,” Weissman said. She also voicedโ concern โfor the impact onโค her son’sโข teacher, saying, “To think that โthey might beโ out of a job, its also disappointing.”
The district plans to finalize decisions by December, with any closuresโค taking effect at โคthe end of theโ current school year in May. Updates will beโ posted on theโค district’sโฃ website at https://www.amphi.com/consolidationfaq, andโ the public can submit input via email to โ answers@amphi.com.
