Pueblo students and staff urge board to spare the school, citing band, theater, GATE and autism supports
Summary
Students, teachers and parents urged the Kyrene governing board at a Nov. 5 hearing to keep Pueblo Middle School open or delay closure so current cohorts can finish; speakers cited strong band and theater programs, GATE opportunities and specialized autism and IEP supports as rationale.
Pueblo Middle School students, teachers and families made repeated appeals Nov. 5 for the governing board to keep the campus open or delay its proposed closure so current students can complete their middle‑school years there.
Multiple student speakers described Pueblo as a small, arts‑focused campus with a band and theater program they said were central to their education and social‑emotional development. "WEB stands for where everyone belongs," an eighth‑grade student told the board, describing a peer‑mentoring program that staff and students said builds belonging on campus. Other students and alumni said Pueblo gives them opportunities in band, theater and advanced coursework that they fear would be lost if the school closes.
Pueblo staff and parents emphasized that the school also houses specialized supports for students with disabilities. A parent and community presenter described Pueblo as a leader in autism awareness, noting a student‑led campaign supported by a $6,000 grant and peer education efforts. Pueblo educators described schoolwide social‑emotional improvements and cited national recognition: "Pueblo has an expansive fine arts program" and "our inclusion work has been recognized," said a staff specialist who highlighted sustained academic progress metrics and program achievements.
Teachers and support staff asked the board for specific guarantees about how electives, special‑education services, band and theater staffing, and gifted placements would be maintained at receiving campuses should Pueblo close. District teachers also asked for a clear implementation plan before any vote; they warned that moving programs on short notice could create gaps in services for students with IEPs and reduce opportunities for arts participation.
Community members and school staff urged the board to consider alternatives that would preserve Pueblo’s programs: marketing the campus as a district‑wide autism‑support and arts hub, protecting weighted funding for students with IEPs who transfer, and allowing open enrollment to continue. Several speakers warned of a feeder‑loss effect for Corona del Sol High School band and other regional arts programs if Pueblo were closed.
No formal decision was made at the hearing; community members asked the board to publicly commit to a timeline and to provide more detail on how elective and special‑education staff would be reassigned if a closure occurs.
