Parents and teachers urge pause on Cave Creek school-closure plan, cite special‑education and staffing concerns

A string of parents, teachers and students at the Cave Creek Unified School District governing board meeting on Jan. 28 urged the board to delay decisions on a proposed set of school closures and reassignments, saying the district has not provided enough detail on classroom maps, special‑education placements or staffing consequences.

The comments came during the public‑comment portion of the business meeting at the Fine Arts Center, where speakers asked the board to explain recent revisions to a facilities proposal and to publish fuller financial and operational data before finalizing closures.

“PALS would be moving to Horseshoe Trails. I was thrilled about this decision,” parent Jessica Fitzwater said, describing how her son attends Lone Mountain and is enrolled in the district’s PALS program. “But then I was informed they're moving to Black Mountain now. I'm not happy about that move… having two special‑needs programs in one place, I don't think is ideal.”

Nicole Fiermonte, who identified herself as a teacher and mother of three students in the district, urged the board to publish a map that shows how the district plans to place classrooms, resource rooms and special‑education spaces if campuses are combined. “Some may only have eight per classroom,” she said, noting PALS and PATH programs have different space…