Interim superintendent recommends consolidating Bella Vista Elementary into Pueblo del Sol amid decade‑long enrollment decline

Interim Superintendent Terry Romo recommended that the Sierra Vista Unified School District consolidate Bella Vista Elementary School into Pueblo del Sol Elementary, telling a packed town‑hall meeting that the move is a response to a decade‑long enrollment decline and a multi‑million‑dollar budget gap.

"Right now, we have over 3,000 empty seats," Romo said, explaining the district has been losing roughly 150–300 students in recent years. Romo said closing an elementary campus saves about $350,000 but that the district faces far larger cuts unless enrollment and revenue change.

The recommendation calls for moving Bella Vista students and programs to Pueblo del Sol (PDS). Romo said PDS has the largest square footage in the elementary portfolio, recent bond‑funded renovations and available classroom space that make it the district’s preferred receiving campus. She emphasized the governing board — which she said was present at the meeting — will make the final decision and noted a board work session on 2025‑11‑12 and a potential vote currently scheduled for 2025‑11‑18.

Why it matters: declining enrollment reduces state funding tied to per‑pupil counts. Romo told parents and community members that closing one school is unlikely to solve the district’s fiscal problems outright and that…