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TUSD Governing Board votes to initiate closure on 6 more schools
Public hearings scheduled for Dec. 8 and 10 on proposed closure of 14 schools

Final closures would take effect in the 2013-2014 school year
Any affected schools continue to operate as normal through this school year

The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board voted in a Tuesday evening board meeting to initiate closure on six TUSD schools. The decision comes one week after the board approved the initiation process for the closure of eight district schools, bringing the total to 14 schools for which closure has been initiated.

The proposed closures come as part of the ongoing School Master Plan process to resolve a $17 million budget shortfall projected for the 2013-2014 school year.

The action moves the schools nearer to closure, but is not a final decision on closure. Two public hearings are scheduled for Dec. 8 and 10 at Catalina High Magnet School, 3645 E. Pima St., so the community may address the board about the schools. The governing board has scheduled a special board meeting on Dec. 20 to discuss finalizing any closures.

The public hearing dates and locations are:


Map to Catalina | View Larger Map

December 8, 2012 – 10:00 a.m.
Catalina High School Auditorium
3645 E. Pima St.

December 10, 2012 – 6:00 p.m.
Catalina High School Auditorium
3645 E. Pima St.

More information about the public hearings...

Any schools that may be closed will still operate as normal through the end of the school year. School closures and changes would take effect in the 2013-2014 school year.

Below is the list of schools for which closure has been initiated. In parentheses are schools that the district has recommended to receive students transferring from the originating school:

  • Brichta Elementary School, 2110 W. Brichta Drive (Receiving School: New K-8 with Menlo Park at Maxwell, and Tolson K-5)
  • Carson Middle School, 7777 E. Stella Road (Receiving Schools: Secrist Middle School and Dietz Elementary, changing
  • to Dietz K-8)
  • Corbett Elementary School, 5949 E. 29th St. (Receiving Schools: Wheeler Elementary, GATE program students to Hudlow or Kellond Elementary Schools)
  • Cragin Elementary School, 2945 N. Tucson Blvd. (Receiving Schools: Blenman Elementary School and Davidson Elementary School)
  • Fort Lowell/Townsend K-8, 2120 N. Beverly Blvd. (Receiving Schools: Grades K-5 to Whitmore Elementary, Grades 6-8 to Doolen and Magee Middle Schools)
  • Hohokam Middle School, 7400 S. Settler (Receiving School: Valencia Middle School)
  • Howenstine High School, 555 S. Tucson Blvd. (Receiving Schools: The home high schools of students)
  • Lyons Elementary School, 7555 E. Dogwood St. (Receiving Schools: Erickson Elementary School and Ford Elementary School)
  • Manzo Elementary School, 855 N. Melrose Ave. (Receiving School: Tully Elementary Magnet School)
  • Maxwell Middle School, 2802 W. Anklam Road (Receiving Schools: Mansfeld Middle School, Robins K-8, Safford Middle School, and Valencia Middle School)
  • Menlo Park Elementary School, 1100 W Fresno St. (Receiving Schools: New K-8 with Brichta at Maxwell, and Tolson K-5)
  • Schumaker Elementary School, 501 N. Maguire (Receiving Schools: Bloom Elementary School and Henry Elementary School)
  • Sewell Elementary School, 425 N. Sahuara Ave. (Receiving Schools: Bonillas Basic Curriculum Magnet School and Kellond Elementary School)
  • Wakefield Middle School, 101 W. 44th St. (Receiving Schools: New K-8 at Hollinger and Van Buskirk K-5 Elementary School)

The governing board also considered closure on Hollinger Elementary School, Pueblo Gardens K-8, and Santa Rita High School but decided against closure for those schools.

The district is confronting a $17 million deficit, which has occurred due to major factors including declining student enrollment, reductions in state funding, escalating expenses in building maintenance and utilities, and the end of federal stimulus funds.

The School Master Plan identifies resources to finance student achievement improvements and balance the budget through efficiencies, reductions in administrative costs, and building consolidations as identified through public input during the School Master Plan process. These measures will help create a new district to meet today’s challenging environment of increasing educational competition, decreasing enrollments, and shrinking budgets. The building consolidation portion of the plan moves scarce resources away from thousands of unoccupied classroom seats, into classrooms to support student learning. 

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