By Philip Haldiman
Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

With most high schools at or above capacity and about 15 schools being underutilized, the Peoria Unified School District will be taking a serious look at how their facilities will be used in the future.

A new committee will be tasked with creating a facility assessment and master plan that will define facility needs at each campus and support facilities, as well as consider the possibility of future school closures.

District spokeswoman Danielle Airey said the committee will examine how to make the best use of facilities and space that currently exist throughout the district.

Studies commissioned last year looked at overcrowding throughout the district and found the total number of open seats is 7,094 or 16%.

Elementary schools have 22% of their seats open and high schools have 2% of their seats open.

Schools within the district’s north and western portions are nearing or over capacity while schools in the district’s south and east are under capacity or low in use.

In general, older elementary and high schools have lower use levels; all high schools are at capacity, except for Raymond S. Kellis, Peoria and Cactus high schools.

Schools with lower use include Ira Murphy Elementary School at 49.4%; Desert Palms Elementary School at 52.7% and Peoria Elementary School at 52.6%.

Governing board member Monica Ceja Martinez said low use of some schools could end in closure, which would be the most difficult decision in Peoria Unified history.
Whatever happens, she said, program access needs to be more equitable and expectations for inclusion as well as transparency should be high.

“This may seem like a new problem or a result of COVID or even failed bond initiatives, but it has been the elephant in the room for years. Most of our work has been focused on keeping as many schools open as long as possible. The reality is, we cannot do that anymore. It is no longer in the best interest of our students to continue as is. The old way of doing things is what brought us to this point,” she said.

Ms. Ceja Martinez said the district’s challenge is to ensure that the community is well represented in whatever decisions are made.

“The silver lining here is the opportunity to demonstrate the governing board’s and superintendent’s mission: that each member of the community is known, cared for, valued and challenged,” she said. “The silver lining is that the situation presents an opportunity to include the community in the process in ways that are meaningful and productive and most importantly, solution focused.”

Officials said the district is in the beginning of studying facility use that could take up to a year before any recommendations are made, whether this includes the closing, repurposing or building new facilities.

Governing board member Beverly Pingerelli said it’s been clear for some time now that PUSD facilities use was in need of review as well as corrective action, and administration is finally looking, on a site-by-site basis, at how facilities are used and what is the capacity for effectively teaching students.

This is going to be a significant issue for the incoming governing board because it’s something that must be addressed, and it must be addressed correctly, she said.

“We do not have the luxury of building schools using the same models of the past. The way we lay out neighborhoods has changed dramatically, and with growth still ongoing, determining how best to build for the future becomes far more challenging and requires far more thought than has previously been employed,” Ms. Pingerelli said.

“Should facilities in the southern part of PUSD be closed or repurposed, the shifting of students from one school to a new one will also require thoughtful analysis along with resources to update the schools we will be more effectively utilizing. Again, we’re just getting started in this effort and we welcome the community’s input as we move forward toward a more efficient and effective school district.”

CFO Michelle Myers said the new facility utilization committee is being formed now.
The committee will evaluate findings of last year’s studies and district data to make recommendations for potential re-purposing of district facilities.

It also will provide a summary of the capacity versus enrollment (use) by grade level and school and assist in answering the following questions:

•Whether or not the district’s current schools use is efficient, or whether the space can be more effectively use.
• Whether or not there is enough space to accommodate a growing/declining student population and if not, what might be the best means of resolving the problem.

The district plans for the committee to start meeting in December or January, with recommendations to the governing board projected a year after that.

“The committee scope will be to identify locations for repurposing, staffing and cost to run those schools,” Ms. Myers said.

No district facilities have been repurposed or changed since the pandemic, but the committee will consider creative new ways to take into account needs of the district and use existing spaces effectively, Ms. Airey said.

“An example might be if there are any programs that need to relocate or expand their offerings,” she said.

Philip Haldiman can be reached at 623-876-3697, phaldiman@newszap.com, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.

Philip Haldiman
News Editor | Peoria
@PhilipHaldiman

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Philip Haldiman is a third generation Arizona native with brief residencies on the east and west coasts. He has bachelor’s degrees in Theater and Journalism at Arizona State University, and is an award winning journalist with more than 15 years worth of experience in reporting and editing. Most recently, he took first place for investigative reporting and third place for best sustained coverage or series at the 2023 Arizona Newspapers Association awards. In his free time, he produces an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.