Sierra Vista board votes 3-2 to close Joyce Clark Middle School amid $5.5 million shortfall

The Sierra Vista Unified School District governing board voted 3-2 Wednesday to close Joyce Clark Middle School, a decision administrators said was necessary to shore up a projected $5.5 million shortfall tied to declining enrollment.

Administrators framed the closure as part of a broader consolidation plan aimed at moving to neighborhood K–8 schools and making fuller use of underutilized classrooms. "We are $5 million in debt and if we lose more students, we're even more than that," Superintendent Terry Romo told the board during the meeting, stressing the fiscal urgency.

Crystal Wambeke, the district's interim director of curriculum, presented the administration's rationale, saying the district has "lost over 2,000 students" and is operating with many underfilled classrooms. She outlined K–8 consolidation models and said closing Joyce Clark would be one step toward stabilizing staffing, academic continuity and student supports.

Th…