Cave Creek Unified District proposes closing Desert Sun Academy and Lone Mountain amid enrollment decline

Cave Creek Unified District staff recommended on Tuesday that the governing board close two elementary campuses — Desert Sun Academy and Lone Mountain — reconfigure the district’s elementary schools to a K–5 model and rezone students to nearby schools, as administrators outlined financial and capacity data at a public forum.

The recommendation, presented by Frank Henderson, assistant superintendent of human resources, and by the district’s chief financial officer, will go to the governing board for action after additional public meetings; administrators said the proposal is intended to reduce persistent budget shortfalls caused by declining enrollment.

The presentation said district elementary capacity is being used at about 47 percent overall and described Desert Sun Academy’s current usage at roughly 25 percent. “Most of our sites are below 50% usage,” Frank Henderson said while summarizing the committee’s findings. The district recommended moving to a K–5 configuration, which staff said would raise average utilization toward 60 percent while accounting for an expected loss of some students after closures.

Why it matters

District officials said the recommendation responds to sustained enrollment declines that have outpaced prior demographic projections and strained the maintenance and operations budget. The district’s financial overview cited Arizona’s per‑pupil base funding and local adjustments; the presentation noted a state base figure of $5,013 per student and described how the district’s weighted funding and expenditures interact with enrollment changes.