Parents and community members met at Ironwood Ridge High School, where the Amphitheatre Public School District is having its first community meeting to talk about the closure of Copper Creek Elementary School and its consolidation into both Painted Sky and Harrelson Elementary Schools.
Parents sat down in the auditorium where Amphi School Superintendent Todd Jeager told them the situation.
He stated that declining birth rates, school vouchers, and charter schools, among other things, have significantly affected the district budget.
This led to what he says was a difficult but necessary decision to downsize for the survival of the district.
As of right now, Copper Creek, Nash, Donaldson and Haloway Elementary are set close.
Jaeger also stated that while they may not be in the same position, he’s fairly confident that teachers and staff will stay within the district.
"We really want to hear from people," Amphi Public School Director of Communications Michelle Valenzuela stated. "We want to hear what they’re they’re concerned about so that we can address those concerns as we move forward."
Jaeger says he will finalize this decision on December 9th and send it to the board.
Parents at the meeting shared their own opinions
"I’m a native here, so this to me is on a deeply personal level," Painted Sky parent Janelle Davis stated. "I just want to support the community, support our staff, especially support our teachers and our students 100% and whatever we can do to do that is. My goal as a parent is just to help support our community as much as possible."
"It’s just really sad because I actually went to Copper Creek when I was a kid and I just enrolled my daughter last year as a pre-k and in kindergarten," Copper Creek parent Catherine Napier stated. "We’ve loved our experience there, and it’s nice that she gets to go to the same school that I went to, so it’s been a really hard thing to hear that they’re going to close that school next year."
This is just the first community meeting.
Amphi is planning on having two more meetings on Thursday and Friday, where the public would come in and discuss the plans before the district finalizes its decision.
Here are the meeting times:
Thursday, November 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Amphitheater High School Auditorium to review the consolidation of Nash, Walker, and Keeling and the consolidation of Holaway and Rio Vista.
Friday, November 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Canyon del Oro High School Auditorium to review the consolidation of Donaldson Elementary and Mesa Verde.
