The Kyrene Elementary School District governing board voted 5-0 on Tuesday to close four elementary schools and two middle schools beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
Parents, students, staff and administration were tearful and tenacious during the Dec. 16 meeting, where hundreds viewed the meeting in person and online to await the board’s decision for the district’s future. Many walked away with tears.
“We don’t have a choice about being in this mess, but we have a choice about how we react to it,” board member Bunny Davis said at the beginning of the meeting when she addressed the audience.
The district had proposed two alternate models at the beginning of December with one proposing to close four elementary schools and two middle schools and the other alternative proposing to close five elementary schools and no middle schools.
The board settled on alternate proposal 1, which will close Akimal a-al and Pueblo Middle Schools and Colina, Estrella and Manitas Elementary schools as well as Kyrene Traditional Academy, a kindergarten through eighth-grade school.
“You want to do what’s best for your kids, and special needs kids need more. How do you meet that if (the school) is closed?” said Antonie Contreras, a mother of three Kyrene students, one who has a learning disability who she says is thriving at Akimal with an individualized education plan and other support for him.
Staff spoke up as well, as some have seen the direct effects of a small budget in a large district.
“Board members, it’s your call tonight on how Kyrene moves forward. Please close all eight schools, balance our budget, and do what needs to be done to save this district,” said Kathy Zinkhon, a teacher at Kyrene de los Ninos Elementary School.
In 2023, the district established the Long-Range Planning committee that consisted of parents, teachers and board members to listen to demographers and accountants to help frame a solution around school closures after district officials cited low enrollment and lack of funding.
“I want to thank my fellow board members. This decision about consolidation of our schools is very hard on us, but I'm proud of the professionalism and dedication that we’ve had throughout the years,” Davis said.
Board member Cedric Collins made a motion to vote on the second alternative ,with a second to the vote from board president Kevin Walsh. There was no discussion, and the motion failed with members Triné Nelson, Amy Satre and Davis voting no.
Walsh proposed a hybrid model from both alternatives and closing five elementary schools and one middle school.
Walsh made a motion for this hybrid model, which would save Mariposa Elementary and Akimel a-al Middle School from closure.
Either school closure could potentially save up to $5 million and eliminate an estimated 13 full-time and 8 part-time jobs. This could also save about $800,000 from personnel costs, and about $500,000 in building operation costs, said district CFO Chris Hermann.
This still would not be enough for the district to solve its almost $7 million budget deficit.
“Making sure that we are listening, connecting and taking care of our fiscal responsibility is very important to me, and I want to make sure that we are able to give people some certainty so that people can plan for their new normal,” Nelson said before the vote.
The district will then decide how to move forward with other decisions on school consolidations and changes in specialty programs, such as dual language learning and gifted academy relocation in 2026.
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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