Declining Enrollment Forces Phased Closure Of 5 Glendale Elementary Schools

[Photo via Glendale Elementary School District Facebook page]

The Glendale Elementary School District Governing Board has voted to shutter 5 of the district’s 17 schools. The closures will occur in two phases.

The Governing Board took action during its March 11 meeting to close the schools to “address significant budgetary demands due to declining enrollment.”

In Arizona, public school enrollment is down by approximately 38,000 students for the 2020-2021 school year compared to last year.

The Glendale Elementary School District was awarded over $24.5 million in COVID relief funds this year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

The following school sites will no longer be operating as schools and students will be reassigned to other school sites within the district.

Phase I, proposed closures of these schools in the 2021-2022 school year:

Isaac E. Imes School – Students would be reassigned to Glenn F. Burton Elementary School, Glendale Landmark and Harold W. Smith Elementary School.
Melvin E. Sine School – students would be reassigned to Glenn F. Burton and Horizon.

Phase II, the proposed closures of these schools in the 2022-2023 school year:

Coyote Ridge School – students would be reassigned to Discovery and the Coyote Ridge facility is repurposed into a “System of Care Center” offering health screenings, community support and professional development resources.
Desert Garden School – students would be reassigned to Challenger or Mensendick and reconfigure those schools to K-8 models. The Desert Garden building would be repurposed into a preschool facility.
Bicentennial North School – students are reassigned to Bicentennial South or Don Mensendick. Bicentennial South is reconfigured to a K-8 model.

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