SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Sierra Vista Unified School District has recommended closing Village Meadows Elementary School, its third school closure since October, as part of an effort to cut at least $5 million from its budget.
Superintendent Terri Romo cited declining enrollment and the district's placement on the state's high financial risk list as the driving factors behind the closures of Bella Vista, Joyce Clark and now Village Meadows.
"Change is hard," Romo said.
The district's recommendation to close Village Meadows came last month.
"None of it's what we want to have to have happen, but it's what we needed to have happen for our school community," Romo said.
If the SVUSD governing board approves the closure, students who attend Village Meadows will move to Pueblo del Sol Elementary School. Village Meadows would serve as a bus stop for students who currently walk to school.
"Village Meadows and PDS have been partnered for years and years, so it was just me that that would be the best decision, or at least the one that I felt like was in the best interest of the entire district," Romo said.
Romo said Pueblo del Sol has more room for students and staff.
"As we move towards K-8 really makes more sense to utilize that facility," Romo said.
Romo said enrollment is still open and that the district is seeing families return with the K-8 model.
"We're good now. So with that, we're really we're trying to get us to the point where, obviously we want to be able to level things out," Romo said.
The SVUSD governing board will vote on the recommendation to close Village Meadows on Tuesday at 5:30 during a special meeting. They will also discuss changing the address of Town and Country Elementary School to the Joyce Clark Middle School (JCMS) campus.
Romo says the staff at the elementary school suggested moving campuses— they're right next to each other— since the JCMS campus is bigger and has more amenities for students.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
