On Monday, members of an exploratory committee with the Florence Unified School District will be discussing plans for the district to transition to a middle-school model.

The meeting take place at 6 p.m. at Florence K-8, 460 S. Park St.

“It is the goal of the exploratory committee to gather all feedback from parents, staff and the community and approach the Governing Board Members at the May board meeting with a recommendation for final approval. If the proposed middle-school plan is approved, FUSD would move to complete the transition for the start of the 2025-2026 school year,” wrote Rita Ann Ezzai Reznick, director of public relations FUSD.

FUSD schools in San Tan Valley would also be affected if the change is approved.

Discussions began early in the 2023-2024 school year about the possibility of such a drastic shift in the current district K-12th model. In late November, an exploratory team was formed to analyze and exam the possibility of a middle-school model approach.

The goal is for FUSD to make this transition in the most fiscally responsible way and not put the financial burden of such a shift on the community, according to Ezzai Reznick.

“The district would consider making this change by utilizing existing school buildings in the Florence and San Tan Valley communities. FUSD would convert two or three of its existing K-8 schools into either middle schools or junior high schools that would then feed into each of its three ninth-through-12th-grade high schools,” she stated. 

Two other in-person meeting will be held before plans are presented to the FUSD Governing Board:

• 6 p.m. Monday, April 22 at Walker Butte K-8, 29697 N. Desert Willow Blvd., San Tan Valley
• 6 p.m. Monday, April 29 at Mountain Vista Academy, 33622 N. Mountain Vista Blvd., San Tan Valley