The Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has projected serious financial shortfalls for its upcoming budget cycles. The district has challenged our community to offer better solutions. One of the key issues facing the Coronado Complex (Hohokam, Pima, Tonalea, and Yavapai Elementary Schools, Supai Middle School, and Coronado High School) is a temporary declining student population caused by past market factors that are currently correcting themselves in our southern Scottsdale community. To rally around this correction and to solve some of the SUSD budget issues, a Kindergarten-through-Eighth Grade (K-8) configuration should be implemented right away. A return to the original K-8 model and a plan to revert/rebuild Hohokam, Pima, Tonalea, and Yavapai to "green" K-8 facilities provides both short-term and long-term solutions to SUSD and our southern Scottsdale schools with zero student displacement. The plan will reduce the significant loss of SUSD students that has historically been seen in our complex's middle school transitions. This plan will also ease District financial concerns and enhances the community focus/interest in our neighborhood schools. This K-8 Neighborhood School Solution follows the growing national trend of reviving the K-8 configuration. While school districts across the Country find it more cost-efficient, research also indicates that K-8 students show higher test scores in math and reading, have higher attendance rates, as well as display better self-esteem, leadership, and attitudes toward school. All these factors positively affect school performance and achievement. This solution will allow for a gradual, incremental transition. As each facility is eventually rebuilt with a K-8 design, master plans will include "green" elements such as solar panels and use of renewable resources. The solution is viable with significant financial and community benefits, both short and long-term. Closing an elementary school in southern Scottsdale is NOT viable and will reap minimal cost savings when considering the overall scope of such a drastic measure. K-8 is a real solution at the right time that our community overwhelmingly supports. Please show your support for the K-8 Neighborhood Schools Solution by signing our petition.

Sponsor

Links