Tears filled the eyes of Alexandra O’Rourke as she went before the board as a presenting member of the Kyrene School District’s Long Range Planning committee.
O’Rouke is a mother of two Kyrene students and works in a teacher resource position at Estrella Elementary School, one of the four Ahwatukee schools potentially to close as a result of the committee’s recommendations.
O’Rourke is one of hundreds of parents who has voiced concern about school closures that would affect Kyrene schools in Phoenix, Tempe and Chandler. During the Sept. 16 regular board meeting, the board heard recommendations and discussion regarding closing at least 10 Kyrene schools indefinitely.
The governing board will go through hearings and recommendations before voting to close schools in December. There were no decisions made at the September meeting.
Sometimes tearful parents, students and staff filled the board room in shirts depicting their school’s name and mascot and holding signs with the “pause” symbol that read “pause the vote.”
“My girl’s school has provided them with a home…and my experience as a teacher has been nothing short of amazing either,” O’Rourke told the board after apologizing for tearing up.
In the wake of Kyrene’s Long Range Plan, parents, staff and administrators shared concerns over expected closures in the Kyrene District after Superintendent Laura Toenjes announced budget cuts and lack of enrollment would lead to schools closing indefinitely, with the board spending at least three months trying to determine which schools to close.
The presentation recommended eight schools close: Estrella and Colina elementaries and Akimel middle school on the west side of Interstate 10 as well as Norte, Mirada and Mariposa elementaries and Pueblo middle school. Kyrene Traditional Academy, a kindergarten through eighth-grade school, is also expected to close, with Milenio elementary recommended to be repurposed as a gifted academy.
Families from Mirada, Mariposa, Lagos and Norte Elementary schools wore shirts and protested ahead of the meeting. Middle school families from Akimel A-al and Pueblo also made an appearance as both middle schools are recommended to close.
Some parents are concerned about possible changes to district offerings, including changes to the district’s Spanish language immersion program. The board agreed dual language programs would not go away, however some schools would be forced to consolidate programs if others closed as a change in class size could affect staffing and resources to help the programs continue.
One Akimel Elementary School student, Henny, spoke to the board in entirely in Spanish to reiterate the importance of Kyrene’s dual language programs that allow both Spanish and non-Spanish speaking students an environment where both languages are spoken during the day.
Toenjes said many decisions on programs cannot be made until following the vote to close schools as that decision would determine the continuing of special programs like dual language and gifted academy.
Many parents noted the A+ schools in the district that are recommended to close such as Mirada Elementary. Nearly half of the Kyrene schools have an A+ award and more have previously held that title dating back to 1999.
Following the committee’s presentation, board President Kevin Walsh said, “I would like the board to consider an option that keeps more schools open.” The crowd cheered and clapped after his statement.
More than 90 speakers, including more than a dozen students, each got one minute to speak about their time at Kyrene. Students as young as first grade and as old as eighth grade stood to speak.
Rita, a first grader at Mirada Elementary school told the board that she had been going to Kyrene since she was in preschool, which was over half of her life. The crowd giggled before she ended with “Mirada has taught me how to be a leader. I heart Mirada.”
Eighth-grade students aging out of the district spoke about their time at Kyrene and how they would like the legacy to continue.
Students worry not only for themselves, but for younger siblings as some worry about losing disability services, friends and beloved teachers— some of which have worked for the district for over 30 years.
Other local officials made appearances, including Tempe Councilmembers Doreen Garlid and Berdetta Hodge, who said they empathized with the board and parents as she herself sits on the board for the Tempe Union School District.
“We need to know what’s going to happen for the future of Kyrene,” Hodge said.
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