Phoenix Elementary board removes closure vote, hears hours of opposition and pleas to save preschool programs

The Phoenix Elementary School District governing board on March 4 approved an amended agenda that removed a planned vote on school closures and consolidation and then heard more than an hour of public comment opposing proposed closures and urging preservation of the district’s preschool programs.

The change to the agenda — approving the agenda “without item F1” — effectively postponed the board’s planned action on school consolidation, and many speakers treated the meeting as an opportunity to press the board for more information and community engagement before any final decisions.

The decision to remove the item was taken by roll call. The board recorded votes of No from Jessica Bueno and Carmen Trujillo and Yes votes from Erica O'Valle, Erica De La Rosa and Dr. Alicia Vink; the motion carried.

Why it matters: speakers said proposed closures would disrupt neighborhood stability, reduce access to walkable schools and risk dismantling a preschool system that several speakers described as nationally recognized. Many commenters asked the board to preserve programs that serve multilingual learners and children with disabilities and to provide full comparative budget and enrollment data before moving forward.

District staff and dozens of parents, teachers and community leaders spoke in person and via written comments. Lauren Ashmore, identified as the district’s director of technology and innovation, told the board the district faces “a critical financial reality” and criticized the current school-to-student ratio, saying, “Simply put, we are not serving our students and taxpayers effectively.” Several parents and local leaders countered that the district should not close neighborhood schools that still show steady enrollment and act as community hubs.

Multiple speakers emphasized the importance of preschool programs. Diane Salazar, principal of Faith North Early Childhood Learning Center, urged preservation of early‑childhood programming and said she “express[ed] my wholehearted support for plan A” while thanking the board for the public process. By contrast, Allison Golic, a parent and community leader, described the emotional toll of the proposal: “I’ve lost sleep worrying about 600 children and their education, their stability, and their future.”

Speakers also said many families had not been adequately notified and warned closures could accelerate enrollment loss as families choose other district or charter options. Parents and early‑childhood experts — including university researchers who submitted written comments — described Faith North and other preschool sites as especially strong sites for inclusive preschool instruction and warned that closing them would be difficult to reverse.

The public comment period included written statements from students and families at ASU Preparatory Academy Phoenix, parents and community members from neighborhoods including Westwood Village/Estates, and teachers and principals from affected sites. Principals at receiving schools, including Capital Elementary and Kenilworth, said their schools were ready to welcome additional students if closures proceed.

Board members used the later portion of the meeting to request a more community‑driven approach: one board member asked the district to “implement a community led solutions based process to address a possible need for school closures.” At the end of the meeting, the board added two future agenda requests: (1) require board approval for significant programming or educational-model changes at all sites, and (2) have an independent audit of any reimagine, closure or consolidation plans to ensure student needs will be met.

Votes at a glance

- Approve agenda without item F1 — Motion to approve the agenda excluding item F1 passed (Yes: Erica O'Valle, Erica De La Rosa, Dr. Alicia Vink; No: Jessica Bueno, Carmen Trujillo). The motion removed the scheduled vote on closures from the evening’s business. Notes: mover not specified on the record; motion and roll‑call recorded in the minutes.

- Consent agenda — Approved unanimously (Jessica Bueno: Aye; Erica O'Valle: Aye; Erica De La Rosa: Aye; Dr. Alicia Vink: Aye; Carmen Trujillo: Aye).

- Executive session (pursuant to ARS statute cited on the record) — Approved by roll call; board convened to executive session and later returned to open session (all members voted Aye).

- Governing board retreat dates — Adopted for March 28–29 (two‑day retreat, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. each day); motion passed by roll call (all members Aye).

- Adjournment — Approved by roll call (all members Aye). The board announced its next regular meeting for March 25 at 5:15 p.m.

What the board directed and next steps: the board did not adopt any closures that night. Instead members asked staff to pursue a community‑led problem‑solving process, and several members proposed future agenda items including an independent audit of closure/reimagine plans and a policy limiting significant programming changes without board approval. The board scheduled follow‑up and preserved the right to act in a future meeting once additional information and community engagement have occurred.

Meeting context and clock: the board convened at 5:15 p.m. and adjourned after an executive session; the March 4 meeting included a superintendent’s report, a student speaker, an extended public comment period focused largely on consolidation and preschools, and multiple procedural votes.