Dolan Springs residents warn move of sixth grade from Mount Tipton will deepen decline in local enrollment

A group of Dolan Springs residents told the Kingman Unified School District Governing Board on July 8 that the district’s decision to move sixth grade students from Mount Tipton School to Black Mountain in Golden Valley will increase bus time, create safety concerns and discourage families from moving to the area.

The most direct criticism came during the board’s public comment period. “Busing them to Black Mountain will add that time that they spend on a bus. This extra time on a bus means less time for sleep and for homework for the students,” said a Dolan Springs resident who spoke at the meeting. The speaker said the Mount Tipton attendance area includes White Hills, Chloride, Meadview and other outlying communities and asked why the community had not been notified before the change.

Local business owner Vince Salmon told the board he has invested more than $1.7 million in a grocery store project in Dolan Springs and said repeated grade reductions at Mount Tipton have deterred families from moving into the area. “We’re watching the community shrink. It’s not growing at all,” Salmon said, urging the board to consider alternatives to “taking grades away.”

Superintendent Gretchen Dorner said the district has done a per‑pupil cost analysis and that “the revenue does not meet the cost” of operating some small campuses, but she also acknowledged the need for more community conversation and offered to hold a town hall in Mount Tipton to discuss the change. Dorner said she would meet privately with interested residents as well.

Board members did not take action on the relocation during the meeting; public comments were received under Arizona Revised Statutes 38‑431.01, which governs public comment at open meetings. Dorner and board members referenced the possibility of additional community meetings and further review of enrollment and costs.

The relocation was said to begin for the coming school year; the district did not provide a detailed timeline or a written notice that was shown to the board during this meeting.

Members of the public said their principal concerns are longer bus rides through what they described as one of the state’s most dangerous highways, reduced appeal for families considering moving to the area, and the potential long‑term loss of businesses and services if enrollment continues to decline. The board did not debate policy changes or vote to reverse the decision at the meeting but invited further engagement.

The district indicated it will provide follow‑up information to the community and that Superintendent Dorner is willing to schedule public town halls at times more convenient for working residents.