After years of sitting vacant and falling into disrepair, the Tucson City Council approved a land development incentive package for shuttered schools in the Tucson Unified School District, this week. The incentives are designed to fast-track development by offering deferred building permit fees and expedited reviews of building plans.
Eight schools remain closed and would qualify for the incentives.
The timing is raising questions, now that it appears that City cronies want to develop one of the sites and would benefit from the incentives.
Wrightstown Elementary School was rezoned recently, and a homebuilder is set to develop the property for private housing.
TUSD Board member Michael Hicks questions the move. He initially opposed the school closures due to the fact that the District was strategically shutting down higher value schools only to move more children into fewer classrooms.