By David Mason, Scottsdale resident | Guest Commentary
Editor’s Note: The author makes claims that short-term rentals may be to blame for Paradise Valley Unified School District discussing school closure and consolidation. A fact check of these claims is provided down below.
When short-term rentals come to town, neighborhood schools close. Short-term rentals replace homes where children live, with lodgings for transients. School enrollment declines and neighborhood schools close and consolidate.
Children are disrupted and transported to unfamiliar schools. Neighborhoods lose neighbors, families and children, quality and character, and become less safe. Families move, if they can, or put up with few neighbors, being surrounded by short-term rentals lodging transient strangers. Neighborhoods become unattractive to young families because, 1. STRs replaced homes where children lived; 2. house prices are inflated by STR operators outbidding families; 3. neighborhood schools close.
STRs are a real problem for Arizona schools, and the problem is only getting worse.
In Paradise Valley Unified School District, for example, 5,550 short-term rentals have replaced so many homes where children lived, that eight elementary schools are below capacity, and that may be causing the conversation of school closure and consolidation. The enrollment decline is too great to be attributable to students moving to other schools or to an aging population, while at the same time, thousands of students transitioned into PVUSD.
When short-term rentals replace enough homes, neighborhoods become “party zones” and any residents left are forced to endure.
This is happening in Scottsdale. A national newspaper headline reads, “The Bachelorette Party Comes for Scottsdale”! A glowing story, but not good news for Scottsdale residents or family neighborhoods.
The question is, “Who is important, Arizona residents, and their children, neighborhoods, and schools, or the STR industry?”
“Good for Arizona” legislation supports protecting residents from STRs, by fixing ARS 9-500.39, the STR ordinance.
“Bad for Arizona” legislation supports the positions of the STR industry for no, or few, regulations for STRs, and minimal changes to ARS 9-500.39.
ARS 9-500.39, nullified Arizona residents’ historical “rights” and made the short-term rentals industry more important than Arizona residents. Thanks to ARS 9-500.39, short-term rentals are a growing business that, unfortunately, is having a ruinous impact on Arizona residents’ quality of life, and their children, neighborhoods, and schools, and greatly contributing to our housing crisis.
STRs are more than just a nuisance, it is an industry that does not belong in residential areas. Also, Arizona is losing billions of dollars in taxes and federal funds, as short-term rentals replace homes for residents.
Short-term rentals will continue ruining Arizona residents’ neighborhoods, schools, and quality of life, until ARS 9-500.39 is changed or repealed.
Fact check: A Paradise Valley Unified School District district spokesman says: “It’s important to make clear that no decisions have been made and the School Closure and Boundary Review Committee is in the early stages of reviewing data. This winter, we anticipate the committee will make a recommendation to the PVSchools Governing Board for their consideration. Enrollment is not the only factor likely to be considered in the potential closure of a school, as this process is complex.” Further, the spokesman adds, “Some factors that lead to students leaving a school district include affordable housing, family situations which lead to moving out of neighborhoods, school choice and more. Over the past 20 years the Paradise Valley Unified School District has seen a decrease to the student population.” More information on PVUSD’s school closure and boundary review committee can be found online: https://www.pvschools.net/community/committees/school-closure-and-boundary-review-committee and in the district’s PVbeat podcast.
