Cave Creek board reopens vote and approves closure of Lone Mountain Elementary

Cave Creek Unified School District’s governing board voted to close Lone Mountain Elementary School effective July 1, 2025, and to consolidate the school’s attendance boundary with Watt Mountain Elementary for the 2025–26 school year after reopening its February decision at a special meeting on Feb. 25, 2025. The motion to reconsider and approve the closure and boundary changes was made during a roll-call vote and passed.

The board said updated fiscal modeling and projected operating deficits left it little choice. Member Walker, who presented the motion to reopen the earlier decision, told the board she sought additional information after constituents raised “questions about the $1,800,000 discrepancy between two sets of fiscal data” and said, “As an elected and volunteer board member, my ultimate intention is to protect the interest of all students.” A cabinet representative told the board that closing both recommended schools would remove approximately $1.9 million in program cuts from consideration for the 2025–26 school year.

Why this matters: board members and district staff said the district faces an operating shortfall that threatens programs and reserves. In public comment, parents, students and employees urged both sides — those who want closures to address the budget and those who oppose them — to consider impacts on students, program continuity and community trust. Speakers…