Gilbert Public Schools to consider closing Pioneer Elementary amid steady enrollment decline

Dr. Jason Martin, Gilbert Public Schools’ presentation lead, told the governing board on Dec. 9 that the district is proposing boundary changes that could include closing Pioneer Elementary for the 2026–27 school year. He said the proposal responds to multi-year enrollment declines and long-term demographic trends and will return to the board for a formal vote on Jan. 27, 2026.

Martin said Pioneer has “lost approximately, over a 100 students over the last 3 years,” making it the district’s smallest elementary with two classrooms per grade and multiple portable classrooms. He told trustees that, with current use of rooms for district functions and less than 2 resource teachers (1.5 currently), the campus struggles to provide full-time special-area and resource supports on site.

On capital needs, Martin gave a conservative estimate of the facility renewals the district would face if Pioneer remained open. “We estimate that we will need to invest $2,500,000 in various projects such as secured entryway, fire protection, water heaters, HVAC controls, and interior and exterior lighting,” he said.

District staff presented projected operational savings if Pioneer closed, including reductions in building-level non-teacher positions and utility costs. Martin said the district would be able to save “approximately 50% of that FTE” over time and that some positions would be absorbed at receiving campuses through attrition and internal placement procedures; he emphasized the district’s stated commitment that Pioneer employees would be given top priority for available positions.

The plan also addresses program continuity for specialized instruction. Martin said Pioneer hosts a regional academic-skills program serving about 25 students across three classrooms; the district intends to relocate that regional program intact so students and staff remain together at a new site.

Maps shown to the board propose dividing Pioneer’s service area among nearby campuses: portions shifting east to Carol Ray Ranch Elementary, south to Val Vista Lakes Elementary and west to Harris Elementary. Martin highlighted junior-high feeder effects and proposed moving a small Pioneer area from Greenfield Junior High to Mesquite Junior High to keep feeder patterns consistent.

Board members pressed staff on outreach to the roughly 70 open-enrolled students currently at Pioneer. Martin said district staff had contacted a handful and expected many would remain in Gilbert Public Schools, but that a fuller estimate would be available before the Jan. 27 meeting. He also confirmed the district will provide transportation for boundaried families assigned to receiving schools and said the district aims to avoid heavy paperwork moves by transferring student records internally.

Martin said the district had conducted four community forums, mailed approximately 70,000 postcards to households inside district boundaries, posted information on the district website and collected 14 online feedback submissions to date. He noted specific local feedback from Dana Park and Heritage Acres, where about 36 elementary families live; several families told the district they prefer routing to Val Vista Lakes and keeping Greenfield Junior High as the feeder.

If the board approves a closure on Jan. 27, staff said implementation planning would continue through May, with the closure and budget effects entering the fiscal-year timeline beginning July 2026 (fiscal 2027). Martin stressed that there were no immediate plans for reuse of the Pioneer site and that the district would secure the campus until a longer-term disposition decision was made.

The board did not vote on the closure at the Dec. 9 meeting; Martin said the formal vote is scheduled for the Jan. 27, 2026 governing-board meeting and staff will present additional community feedback and updated estimates then.