TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Schools depend on the money the state sends them for each student who goes to that school.
TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo says closing schools that have low enrollment helps cure the problem of buildings that cost more to operate than state aid they bring in.
He says the plan to close ten schools will save about three and a half million dollars. Which is only a bite of a fourteen million dollar deficit.
That means different cuts are in the district's future.
“We're going to be starting in the administration, and I think what you're going to see differently is where last year we talked about administrative positions, and we cut a few administrative positions, and we cut a lot of budgets and travel, and we even cut an entire department, the customer service department. So last year we ended up cutting around seven and a half million in pure sort of administrative expenses. We're going to have to do that again, but this time, a little bit later on in spring, I think you're going to see us talking about entire departments versus just singular positions.”
Superintendent Trujillo says closing schools is a strategy to do more than cut. He hopes it will bring in more money by freeing up enough money to enhance schools in the way to attract more students to come into TUSD— and more students means more state money.
He also hopes it will encourage families to stay with TUSD.
“But even through the stress and the anxiety, a parent in a school that is potentially closing, I would urge them to say, ‘Is what's being made available at the receiving school better and more than what I have now?’ An example is the receiving school. What's it doing for childcare? Oh, childcare is going to be free. That's great. I don't get childcare right now. Before and after school care is going to be available right now. I don't have access to music education. The receiving school: I'm going to have access to music education. I know it's hard, but that would be my recommendation to parents: Is to look at the resources and the programs that we're going to be able to make available at the newly consolidated sites.”
The superintendent says vacant school campuses could become new neighborhoods, green space, or maybe something like nursing homes. But voters will have to approve any sale or lease. He says by law, money from a sale or lease can not be used for operating costs like hiring teachers. It must be used for capital improvements like enhancing school buildings.
