District staff backs Option 3A for Pima Elementary boundary; parents urge alternate lines, question transportation

Scottsdale Unified School District staff on Feb. 2 recommended ‘‘Option 3A’’ as the committee’s preferred attendance‑zone plan for Pima Elementary, saying it would keep the Pima boundary within the Coronado complex and would not require added transportation funding. The presentation set up a vote on the item at a later meeting "on Tuesday," staff said, and the board held a public hearing to collect input.

Dr. Christine Bono, the staff presenter, summarized the committee process and materials and said the committee initially considered five plans and later added a sixth option. "Option 3A … keeps the boundary within the Coronado Complex. It provides continuity of the community and it would not require any additional funding for transportation," she said. Bono said the committee included three current Pima parents, principals from neighboring schools and district directors, and that maps and postcards were posted and mailed as part of the outreach.

Staff cited school capacity and enrollment figures while describing the expected effects of 3A. Bono said Hohokam’s capacity is about 655 and that its enrollment at the start of the committee’s work was about 479. She estimated that, if all current in‑boundary Pima students were rezoned under Option 3A, about 75 would be zoned for Hohokam and about 60 for Yavapai. Bono also noted that students may apply for open enrollment and that district staff are providing "concierge support" to families who have not yet enrolled.

Transportation and costs were a central concern. Bono said Director David Jacobson had run rough numbers indicating that adding an entirely new bus route could cost between $85,000 and $90,000; she said staff would provide more detailed figures next week. Board members clarified that transportation eligibility can change when a student’s enrollment zone changes (for example, if a student who previously open‑enrolled becomes in‑boundary), which can drive additional costs.

Speakers during public comment offered alternatives and asked the board to consider different dividing lines. Debbie Schumacher, identified as an SUSD alum, resident and grandparent, said the board was presenting a "predetermined outcome" and proposed two alternatives: reassign the entire Pima boundary to the Saguaro community to preserve traditional school progressions, or use Osborne as a north–south dividing line so residents south of Osborne would feed to Coronado and those north to Saguaro. "This is the best option for your redemption with Pima families," Schumacher said of her preferred change.

Jennifer Hibbert, who said she lives at 3017 North 83rd Street and has children enrolled at Navajo and Mojave, told the board several neighbors intend to select Navajo and asked for transportation assistance if Pima is closed or rezoned. "With the closure of Pima, we would love to have transportation options," she said, adding that many local families choose schools for STEM programming and existing carpool systems.

Board members requested additional data to inform a decision, asking staff for historical enrollment patterns for Pima students over the past six to seven years and for more detailed enrollment and transportation cost breakdowns. Staff agreed to provide the requested materials ahead of the action item.

No boundary decision was made at the hearing; the board proceeded to routine business and adjourned after a procedural motion. The president moved to adjourn, a member seconded and the motion passed unanimously at 6:22 p.m. Staff said the boundary plan will return as an action item at the next meeting for further deliberation and any formal vote.

(Reporting note: figures and policy references above were presented orally during the Feb. 2 public hearing and reflect staff’s reported counts and estimates. Where the transcript provided ranges or ambiguous formatting for numbers, the article reports the figures as stated by staff.)