Gress Urges Scottsdale School Board to Delay Pima and Echo Canyon Closure Vote Until Full Review Is Conducted

Declining enrollment is slowly necessitating the closure of public schools, but one Arizona lawmaker wants to make the process a little slower.

State Representative Matt Gress, Chairman of the House Education Committee and Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, is urging the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board to delay its vote on closing Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon K-8 School until February 1.

On Monday, Gress sent a letter to Board members outlining his concerns about the pace of the process, gaps in the district’s fiscal analysis, and unanswered questions about the effect the proposed closures would have on students and families. In the attached letter he calls on the Board to take additional time to conduct a more complete review and consider other viable options.

“Closing schools has lasting consequences. Before the board takes any action, the public should see a full explanation of the fiscal impact, the alternatives that were considered, and how the district plans to support the students who would be uprooted,” Gress said. “Based on what I have seen so far, that work is incomplete.”

SUSD has cited declining enrollment and a projected budget deficit as reasons to rush action. Gress said the district has financial options to sustain operations while a complete public review is conducted.

“Families deserve clarity before a final decision is made,” he said. “The district still has time to finish its analysis, make the findings public, and answer the questions parents have raised.”

Gress also noted that districts have limited flexibility with unused property and said he will introduce emergency legislation next session with Senator Werner to allow districts to sell unused or underused sites and use the proceeds to strengthen academic programs and offerings that keep students enrolled.

“Districts need practical tools to respond to enrollment shifts,” Gress said. “Allowing them to sell unused property and reinvest the proceeds in programs students want is a better option than closing schools without exploring all alternatives.”

“I urge the board to pause this process and use the next several weeks to finish the due diligence that remains and to allow the Legislature to act on the proposed policies,” he added. “This decision can wait. Taking the time to do this right will help the board make a more informed and beneficial choice.”