TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Amphitheater Public Schools will consolidate several elementary schools next year due to declining enrollment and budget challenges, Superintendent Todd Jaeger announced Monday.
The district plans to close four elementary school buildings and redistribute students to nearby schools, affecting families with children in kindergarten through fourth grade. The consolidations will take effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
"To ensure that Amphitheater remains fiscally sound and educationally vibrant for our students now and into the future, we are compelled to make difficult, but necessary, decisions this year," Jaeger said.
The recommended closures include:
- Copper Creek Elementary School students will move to Painted Sky and Harelson Elementary Schools
- Donaldson Elementary School students will move to Mesa Verde Elementary School
- Nash Elementary School students will move to Keeling and Walker Elementary Schools
- Holaway Elementary School students will move to Rio Vista Elementary School
Small sections of Donaldson and Rio Vista attendance boundaries will also be adjusted to enroll some students at Walker Elementary.
The 132-year-old district is facing what Jaeger described as a "significant, structural decline in student enrollment" affecting school districts across Arizona and the nation. Contributing factors include declining birth rates, Arizona's private school voucher system, rising education costs, inadequate state funding and budget shortfalls.
Current fifth-graders will attend the same middle schools they would have before the consolidation unless they open-enroll elsewhere. Families with preschool students will receive separate communication in coming weeks.
Jaeger said the consolidation will allow the district to strengthen academic, arts and athletic programs by concentrating resources. The district plans to maintain class-size commitments, free full-day kindergarten, one-to-one laptop access and programs including gifted education, special education, STEM and arts.
The district will host three community meetings this week to present detailed consolidation plans and gather public feedback:
- Wednesday, Nov 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Ironwood Ridge High School Auditorium
- Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Amphitheater High School Auditorium
- Friday, Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Canyon del Oro High School Auditorium
Jaeger will present formal recommendations to the Governing Board on Dec. 9.
The board is expected to vote on the consolidations at its Jan. 13, 2026 meeting, following Arizona's required 10-day public review period.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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