Phoenix Elementary District holds public hearing on proposed closures of Dunbar and Heard amid projected enrollment drop and budget shortfalls

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Elementary District Governing Board held a public hearing Feb. 4 to collect community comment on a district plan to close Paul Laurence Dunbar School and May Bartlett Hurd Elementary School as officials said declining enrollment and budget shortfalls threaten district operations.

Superintendent Dr. Gonzales told the board the district must “balance our district budget” and aim to carry forward about 10% of its maintenance-and-operations budget — roughly $5,000,000 — to remain financially healthy. He presented a set of proposals, called Plan A and Plan B, and said Plan A would close Dunbar and Heard and pursue lease opportunities for the vacated buildings to produce recurring revenue. The board did not take a vote on closures at the meeting; the session was convened as a public hearing required by state statute.

The superintendent said the district’s enrollment has fallen from just over 7,000 students in 2015–16 to about 5,000 in 2024–25, and projected further decline to about 4,000 students by 2033. He said the district carried forward $2,615,000 in 2023–24 but currently projects carrying forward only $82,000 for next year if spending stays the same and that “if we do nothing to change our spending, we will be looking at approximately $8,500,000 in a deficit.”

Dr. Gonzales described Plan A as a combination of closing Dunbar and Heard (a savings he estimated at about $2,100,000) plus additional budget cuts and leasing district properties to generate recurring revenue (he cited potential lease revenue of about…