Why is this change necessary?

Low student enrollment has continued to limit the academic programming available to Dunbar students. With enrollment projected to decline another 41%, we need to make this move to provide the best educational opportunities for our children and repurpose Dunbar to serve the community.

At this time, we estimate that Dunbar has 100 students that would be moving from Dunbar to Bethune. This would bring the total enrollment of the campus to approximately 500 students.

Yes, Dunbar teachers will participate in a district-wide internal transfer fair to determine where they will go next. Any remaining openings for Bethune based on student enrollment will be filled first through internal transfers before posting externally. If the Governing Board votes to close Dunbar, then certified staff will be considered surplus staff. Principals will work with HR to place certified staff when possible based on preferences. This process will begin on March 5. The goal is to place as many staff as possible before contract issuance on Monday, March 17. A Transfer Fair is scheduled for Monday, March 17, 2025 from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm at Emerson Court.

Yes, we are proud to have many schools recognized for their performance. Our enrollment specialist can help you find the school and program that best meets your needs.

You can reach Claudia Cardenas at 602-523-5757.

Given our budget deficit, we will need to be at the agreed upon Pupil to Teacher Ratio (PTR) established by the Meet and Confer Process.

Yes, with the addition of the new students from Dunbar will help to bring Bethune closer to its enrollment capacity.

The bell schedule will likely change to accommodate more efficient transportation routes, but otherwise, the day will remain much the same as it has in prior years. Students will have a variety of options as they begin middle school with more teachers available in each content area.

No, current services for all students will continue. Given the budgetary constraints, we are evaluating whether there will be a possibility of expanding services for students in the future.

Phoenix #1 has a District-wide curriculum for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. As a result, all students in all of our schools are provided the same curriculum regardless of the school they attend.

Yes, it is important for students to receive grade-level, content-rich instruction to prepare for high school. By expanding the middle school and staff we now have teachers being able to teach grade-level specific content. In addition, teachers will be able to better collaborate within grade bands to prepare for instruction. Finally, we anticipate that with the growth of the middle school, we will be able to offer more diverse academic programming that will support our students' transition to high school.

Social workers from each campus will be planning team building and other activities to begin the process of integrating these campuses. This will be an ongoing process throughout next year as we build a new school community between the students at Dunbar and Bethune.

In addition to having access to more teachers who are grade and content-specialized, we believe that having a larger, more diverse, middle school is inherently beneficial for both Whittier and Emerson students. Students will have greater opportunities to learn, create, and collaborate together while experiencing a more authentic middle school experience that will better prepare them for high school.

The District would need to find alternative ways to make up for the anticipated budget shortfall. This could potentially include but not be limited to:

• Elimination of non-certified classroom support positions (ie. classroom aides, interventionists, IEISs, FACE, etc.)
• Elimination of all onsite preschools, district athletics, before and after care and enrichment
• Increase in class sizes to maximum ratio and creation of combo classes when appropriate
• Reduction in salary for all staff

Using Dunbar as an example we retained 84% of our students in the first year of consolidation and this has now increased to 93% in the 24-25 school year. Similarly, we retained 82% of students in the consolidation of Emerson to Whittier in the 24-25 school year and are developing systems to increase our retention rates for the future.

Our District is no longer under a Desegregation Order. Desegregation is another fund that goes into our maintenance and operations budget. However, it is important to remember that those funds can only be used to support the desegregation plan that was submitted to the USDOE in 1984 to address the systemic under performance of schools serving students in Phoenix Elementary. 
  
Shaw Montessori and Magnet Traditional were the two schools developed in that plan and are now A schools serving students in our district boundaries as well as families who travel to come to the school. This is part of the funds provided to schools that have resolved the court orders to desegregate. These funds support these schools and their staffing, but they also provide support for before and after-school care and sports. Changes to those schools will result in the potential loss of Desegregation funds to the District.

We will not be providing buildings to charter schools that would not provide the level of services and enrichment for our students that we believe is important to their educational success. In addition, leasing properties to charter schools takes away enrollment and state and federal funds from our District and would be a bad financial decision. 
  
We have made a commitment that any vacant properties will either be utilized by our District or leased to community partners and organizations that will provide support and resources to the community we serve.

$77,000.00 to the consultants to hold the visioning sessions and to prepare high-level schematics of the learning environments suggested in the visioning sessions. The outcomes from this investment have already shaped programming and environmental improvement plans using voter-approved bond funds for our schools.

ELL identification is required by law. All students who qualify for services will continue to be serviced regardless of the campus they choose to attend. With students spread out among fewer sites, we will be able to better concentrate services based on need.

Phoenix #1 will continue to provide as many basic needs as possible for our students. No-cost breakfast and lunch will continue to be provided at all campuses. Family and Community Engagement Specialists are available to meet with families to provide referrals to community assistance agencies.

Yes, we know plan B will be detrimental to our students as well as our staff. If we do not close schools, cuts equaling $12 million dollars will need to be made over the next 2 school years. This will impact our ability to provide wrap-around services for our students and we will likely lose more student enrollment. However, we must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and have a responsibility to maintain a balanced budget.

There are two potential challenges we need to overcome to be able to present a multi-year plan to our community. The first is the closure of Heard and Dunbar, and the second is the ability for us to regain usage of the property currently leased by ASU Prep. If we are able to accomplish both of these goals, then we will be able to provide the educational vision outlined in Reimagine Phoenix #1. This would include a Fine and Performing Arts Center, the creation of elementary and middle schools with highly trained staff and specialized programming, as well as K-8s to meet the needs of our community, while also updating our buildings using voter-approved bond funds. All of this can be done while also addressing the fiscal needs and responsibilities of our District because of our strong bond reserve for our buildings.

By having fewer campuses we are able to provide more flexibility for staff to provide services to our ESS students across the District.

Families who choose to enroll at Bethune will receive transportation to/from school daily. For students who currently walk to school, a “hub stop” would be created at the Dunbar school campus. Riders could walk to the Dunbar campus, board the bus under adult supervision, and safely be transported to Bethune. Students who currently ride the bus will continue to have neighborhood bus stops.

Yes, Dunbar students will have the ability to attend Magnet Traditional School which will remain a K-8. Magnet does not currently have a waitlist and is enrolling students and will be able to enroll students in the 2025-26 school year.

Principal of Dunbar

Nadine Gofonia
nadine.gofonia@phxschools.org

FACE Specialist at Dunbar

Ms. Leticia Comparan
leticia.comparan@phxschools.org

Dunbar School Contact Information

Phone: 602-257-3844

Principal of Bethune 

Ms. Claron Sells
claron.sells@phxschools.org

FACE Specialist at Bethune

Ms. Salma Ballesteros
salma.ballesteros@phxschools.org

Bethune School Contact Information

Phone: 602-257-3830   

Principal of Magnet Traditional

Mr. Adrian Walker
adrian.walker@phxschools.org

FACE Specialist at Magnet Traditional

Mrs. Karina Lopez
k.lopez@phxschools.org

Magnet Traditional School Contact Information

Phone: 602-257-6281

Dr. Deborah Gonzalez

Superintendent
deborah.gonzalez@phxschools.org

Dr. Seth Aleshire

Chief Academic Officer
seth.aleshire@phxschools.org

Mrs. Sara Sims

Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives
sara.sims@phxschools.org

Mrs. Alicia Zelvis

Director of Exceptional Student Services
alicia.zelvis@phxschools.org

Why is this change necessary?   

• Due to a decrease in enrollment District-wide, we are anticipating an 8 million dollar budget deficit by school year 2026-2027, making school closure a necessity to maintain programs and staff salaries
• The enrollment at Heard is projected to decrease by 36% by 2033, with Capitol decreasing by 41% during the same time
• Heard campus is in need of repair and upgrades due to having been constructed in 1970. This would be a drain on the maintenance and operations and bond funding. Capitol is one of our newest campuses and is not in need of the same level of upgrade
• Heard campus is located beside Magnet Traditional School, a K-8, ""A"" rated school
• With Magnet Traditional next door, the closure of Heard would still allow neighborhood families to have a school within walking distance
• Having two K-8 campuses (Heard and Magnet) next door to each other is unsustainable given current enrollment projections and funding
• There are lease and program development opportunities at the Heard campus that could lead to revenue generation for the District in the long term

At this time we estimate that approximately 350 students (approximately 80%) would be coming from Heard to Capitol. Based on this prediction we would maximize the enrollment capacity of Capitol school. However, we will work to survey families to get a better sense of what school they would prefer.

Yes, we are proud to have many schools recognized for their performance. Our enrollment specialist can help you find the school and program that best meets your needs. You can reach Claudia Cardenas at 602-523-5757.

Yes, Heard teachers will participate in a district-wide internal transfer fair to determine their placement for SY 25-26. Any remaining openings for Capitol based on student enrollment will be filled first through internal transfers before posting externally. If the Governing Board votes to close Heard, then certified staff will be considered surplus staff. Principals will work with HR to place teachers when possible based on preferences. This process will begin on March 5. The goal is to place as many staff as possible before contract issuance. A Transfer Fair is scheduled for Monday, March 17, 2025, from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm at Emerson Court.

The Exceptional Education Student Services Department (ESS) has identified Bethune as the best location to move the current Self-Contained ESS program from Heard. This is based on several key criteria including capacity, size, and layout of the campus.

Given our budget deficit, we will need to be at the agreed upon Pupil to Teacher Ratio (PTR) established by the Meet and Confer Process.

Yes, the capacity for Capitol will allow for students from Heard to be accommodated. There will need to be fewer classrooms used as offices and intervention spaces, but there are enough classrooms for students. We will need to look at expanding the parking lot for staff parking. Fortunately, that is a low-cost project.

The bell schedule will likely change to accommodate more efficient transportation routes, but otherwise, the day will remain much the same as it has in prior years. Students will have a variety of options as they begin middle school with more teachers available in each content area.

No, current support services for all students will continue. Given the budgetary constraints, we are evaluating whether there will be a possibility of expanding services for students in the future.

Phoenix #1 has a District-wide curriculum for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. As a result, all students in all of our schools are provided the same curriculum regardless of the school they attend.

Yes, by combining staff from multiple schools we create larger teams of teachers that can work together to provide high quality and more rigorous education to our students. In addition, having additional teachers on campus allows us to offer courses, such as Algebra, that would increase student readiness for high school.

Social workers from both campuses will be planning team building and other activities to begin the process of integrating these two campuses. This will be an ongoing process throughout next year as we build a new school community between the students at Capitol and Heard.

In addition to having access to more teachers that are grade and content-specialized, we believe that having a larger, more diverse campus is inherently beneficial for both Heard and Capitol students. All students will have greater opportunities to learn, create, and collaborate together while our middle school students will experience a more authentic and rigorous program that will better prepare them for high school.

The District would need to find alternative ways to make up for the anticipated budget shortfall. This could potentially include but not be limited to: 

• Elimination of non-certified classroom support positions (ie. classroom aides, interventionists, IEISs, FACE, etc.)
• Elimination of all onsite preschools, district athletics, before and after care and enrichment
• Increase in class sizes to maximum ratio and creation of combo classes when appropriate
• Reduction in salary for all staff

Using Dunbar as an example we retained 84% of our students in the first year of consolidation and this has now increased to 93% in the 24-25 school year. Similarly, we retained 82% of students in the consolidation of Emerson to Whittier in the 24-25 school year and are developing systems to increase our retention rates for the future.

Our District is no longer under a Desegregation Order. Desegregation is another fund that goes into our maintenance and operations budget. However, it is important to remember that those funds can only be used to support the desegregation plan that was submitted to the USDOE in 1984 to address the systemic underperformance of schools serving students in Phoenix Elementary. 
  
Shaw Montessori and Magnet Traditional were the two schools developed in that plan and are now A schools serving students in our district boundaries as well as families who travel to come to the school. This is part of the funds provided to schools that have resolved the court orders to desegregate. These funds support these schools and their staffing, but they also provide support for before and after-school care and sports. Changes to those schools will result in the potential loss of Desegregation funds to the District.

We will not be providing buildings to charter schools that would not provide the level of services and enrichment for our students that we believe is important to their educational success. In addition, leasing properties to charter schools takes away enrollment and state and federal funds from our District and would be a bad financial decision. 
  
We have made a commitment that any vacant properties will either be utilized by our District or leased to community partners and organizations that will provide support and resources to the community we serve.

$77,000.00 to the consultants to hold the visioning sessions and to prepare high-level schematics of the learning environments suggested in the visioning sessions. The outcomes from this investment have already shaped programming and environmental improvement plans using voter-approved bond funds for our schools.

ELL identification is required by law. All students who qualify for services will continue to be serviced regardless of the campus they choose to attend. With students spread out among fewer sites, we will be able to better concentrate services based on need.

Phoenix #1 will continue to provide as many basic needs as possible for our students. No-cost breakfast and lunch will continue to be provided at all campuses. Family and Community Engagement Specialists are available to meet with families to provide referrals to community assistance agencies.

Yes, we know plan B will be detrimental to our students as well as our staff. If we do not close schools, cuts equaling $12 million dollars will need to be made over the next 2 school years. This will impact our ability to provide wrap-around services for our students and we will likely lose more student enrollment. However, we must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and have a responsibility to maintain a balanced budget.

There are two potential challenges we need to overcome to be able to present a multi-year plan to our community. The first is the closure of Heard and Dunbar, and the second is the ability for us to regain usage of the property currently leased by ASU Prep. If we are able to accomplish both of these goals, then we will be able to provide the educational vision outlined in Reimagine Phoenix #1. This would include a Fine and Performing Arts Center, the creation of elementary and middle schools with highly trained staff and specialized programming, as well as K-8s to meet the needs of our community, while also updating our buildings using voter-approved bond funds. All of this can be done while also addressing the fiscal needs and responsibilities of our District because of our strong bond reserve for our buildings.

By having fewer campuses we are able to provide more flexibility for staff to provide services to our ESS students across the District.

We take the safety of all of our students at every campus as our number one responsibility. Capitol is our first school that will be receiving a School Safety Officer in the 2025-26 school year. In addition, we have worked over the past year to provide facility improvements for Capitol as well as our other campuses to improve their safety including upgrading fencing and front office and front entry improvements and safeguards. Students transported to Capitol will be dropped off and picked up directly on the school campus under adult supervision to ensure their safety when they arrive at and leave school.

Families who choose to enroll at Capitol will receive transportation to/from school daily. For students who currently walk to school, a “hub stop” would be created at the Heard school campus. Riders could walk to the Heard campus, board the bus under adult supervision, and safely be transported to Capitol. Students who currently ride the bus will continue to have neighborhood bus stops.

Daily attendance and enrollment are two different calculations. Daily attendance is the percentage of the children enrolled who attend school each day. That number is on the rise.

The attendance mentioned in the Demographic report is the availability of children living and being born within the attendance boundary of the school who could enroll. That number of children is expected to decrease by 36% by the year 2033, which would equate to 161 fewer students. This continues a trend we have seen both at Heard and District-wide.

 For example:

• Heard Enrollment 2015=606 students
• Heard Enrollment 2019=516 students 
• Heard Enrollment 2024=446 students

Yes, Heard students will have the ability to attend Magnet Traditional School which will remain a K-8. Magnet does not currently have a waitlist and is enrolling students and will be able to enroll students in the 2025-26 school year.    

Principal of Heard

Ms. Zariffe Magana 
zariffe.magana@phxschools.org

FACE Specialist at Heard

Mrs. Rocio Libbey
rocio.libey@phxschools.org

Heard School Contact Information

Phone: 602-257-3880

Principal of Capitol

Mrs. Kerby Botts
kerby.botts@phxschools.org

FACE Specialist at Capitol

Ms. Zayda Ray
zayda.ray@phxschools.org

Capitol School Contact Information

602-257-3835

Principal of Magnet Traditional

Mr. Adrian Walker

adrian.walker@phxschools.org

FACE Specialist at Magnet Traditional

Mrs. Karina Lopez

k.lopez@phxschools.org

Magnet Traditional School

602-257-6281

Dr. Deborah Gonzalez

Superintendent
deborah.gonzalez@phxschools.org

Dr. Seth Aleshire

Chief Academic Officer
seth.aleshire@phxschools.org

Mrs. Sara Sims

Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives
sara.sims@phxschools.org

Mrs. Alicia Zelvis

Director of Exceptional Student Services
alicia.zelvis@phxschools.org