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Mesa explores Shepherd College Prep expansion and Franklin high‑school redesign; PADAC engagement planned
Summary
District staff briefed the Governing Board on plans to add ninth grade at Shepherd College Preparatory (a phased 7–12 expansion) and to explore creating a small Franklin 9–12 high school, and recommended PADAC public hearings before changes are finalized.
District staff presented two potential school‑level changes the board could consider as it plans for program options and registration timelines.
Shepherd College Preparatory: Staff described strong parent interest in a college‑preparatory small‑school model at Shepherd, which currently serves seventh and eighth graders and has declining enrollment. Because the state requires an approved grade‑configuration to generate state funding for high‑school grades, the district recommended a staged approach to add a ninth grade in 2026–27 and grow one grade at a time; administrators said starting with ninth grade limits the initial budget exposure to a small number of full‑time positions. Staff noted athletics and fine‑arts options would be limited at first and that pathways to comprehensive CTE programming (for example, EVIT) would remain available.
Franklin area proposals: Parents near Franklin told administrators they prefer a Franklin small‑high‑school experience. Staff said Brimhall Elementary’s campus is too small to host a K–12 conversion and that boundary revisions and repurposing of surrounding elementary campuses would likely be necessary. Because boundary changes can affect multiple feeder schools, staff recommended the matter go to PADAC (the district’s planning and boundary advisory committee) for public meetings, options development and a recommendation to the board.
Next steps and scheduling: staff told the board they want decisions in time for registration that opens in November; because final state funding and staffing commitments must be established earlier, the district seeks to bring formal recommendations through PADAC and back to the board by October. Staff said they will hold community listening sessions and convene parent committees to develop program details and course sequencing.
Transportation, capacity and athletics: staff cautioned that transportation routes are already constrained and that many families will still need to provide their own transportation to choice programs; principals will coordinate with transportation staff to assess feasibility. The district also noted that comprehensive athletics and arts programs would not be available immediately at either site and that any athletic offering would be tailored to available resources.
No formal vote was taken; the board asked staff to pursue PADAC engagement and return with proposals and boundary options.
