TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Tucson Unified School District does not have enough students to fill up its schools. The Superintendent says the district may have to close as many as ten campuses. Now the district is inviting families and teachers—people who care deeply about the schools—to suggest what the district should work hard to preserve and improve as schools consolidate.
Schools and their teachers can be a stabilizing force in a community and an anchor in the lives of students and parents.
But now with population shifts, charter schools and state scholarships that help families send students to private schools, TUSD says its enrollment has fallen so low it has more than 26,000 vacant seats across the district.
Organizers are holding meeting to hear the community’s suggestions on what should be preserved and what could be improved as schools consolidate. Danielle Applegate says it was important for her to have a chance to be heard.
“Because it's my life and livelihood. My children are TUSD children and graduates. I'm a TUSD teacher in two schools, and I love my schools and I love my job, and it, -- it really means a lot to me to have input tonight.
She says she’d like to hear what the district can do to keep more kids in TUSD.
Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo says the district wants to come out of consolidation able to offer better services.
“More full-time extracurriculars, more resources, higher quality of teaching and learning and building, and we're also able to put in more money and more funding because we won't be spending millions of dollars maintaining half-full campuses that could actually be used to purchase band uniforms and instruments and football uniforms and all the like.”
Doctor Trujillo says the input that comes from three meetings will go to an advisory committee and to the school board. Schools proposed for closure could be listed by name perhaps the middle of next month, with the school board taking formal action in early December.
