Staff and union speakers urge caution on possible Glendale school closures, cite staffing and capacity concerns

Amber Johnson, speaking for hundreds of staff members and the Glendale Education Association, urged the Glendale Elementary School District governing board on Jan. 8 to consider how proposed school closures could affect student enrollment and staff retention and to use realistic capacity figures when weighing consolidation options.

"We recognize both the potential need to close schools and the responsibility to use financial resources wisely," Johnson said, and she asked the board to incorporate potential enrollment declines into consolidation planning. Johnson cited auditor general reports and said about 30% of district staff are in their first three years of teaching compared with a 22% statewide average, arguing that uncertainty around closures could prompt early-career teachers to leave.

The board also heard from Robert Gale, a teacher speaking for the Glendale Education Association, who thanked the board for its engagement and described the union's use of district facilities for meetings. "The fees are paid directly through our union dues, meaning district employees' paychecks fund the use of classrooms, libraries, and lounges that they work in every day after hours," Gale said.

Johnson and other speakers asked the board for updated, realistic capacity assessments. As an example, staff said Horizon appears on past reports with a listed capacity roughly in the 1,100–1,200 range but currently has only 33 general-education classrooms, which would require repurposing specialized spaces to meet the listed capacity. Johnson said those kinds of mismatches should be resolved before any consolidation decisions.

Superintendent Segota Jones (as named in the transcript) told the board that school closures were not on the Jan. 8 agenda but that the district appreciated early input; she confirmed a Jan. 22 study session will continue Phase 1 discussions and that items the board asked for will be placed on that agenda. The superintendent also noted that prior school-closure steps had followed required posting and notification guidelines.

What happens next: the board scheduled a study session on Jan. 22 to discuss Phase 1 and related items, where board members and staff said they expect further analysis of capacity, enrollment projections, and staffing implications.