OPINION — SUSD fell from #2 in 11th grade pupil testing (2021-22; Arizona does not test 12th grade students) to #5 (2024-25) vs. nearby Cave Creek, Chandler, Deer Valley and Higley districts.

SUSD added about 50 staff, while enrollment from within SUSD fell about 2,600; about 130 extra staff vs. the average of the four nearby districts on a per-pupil basis.

SUSD closed/is closing four schools; savings of about $0, per Stanford research. (Why? Enough students formerly enrolled in closed schools, on average, transfer out of the district; additional revenue losses, negating anticipated cost reductions from closing the schools.)

SUSD instead could have avoided the enrollment losses via extensive human/AI tutoring and improving its pupil discipline and “Learning Rate,” now below the national average per Stanford data. This would have cost less than the savings from eliminating SUSD's staffing surplus.

SUSD's previous enrollment consultant and myself repeatedly warned it that most of its enrollment losses involved transfers to charters, private schools and home-schooling. SUSD leaders instead decided to avoid responsibility by simply blaming declining birthrates until about 2026. 

Why? My theory is that the teacher union-sponsored/dominated SUSD superintendent and board wanted to avoid creating added accountability/stress via requiring additional effort and accountability of its teachers. 

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