CCUSD considers school closure
Marc Buckhout~ Managing Editor ~ 2/3/2010

For the second consecutive year the Cave Creek Unified School District governing board is exploring the closure of Desert Arroyo Middle School.
Facing a budget shortfall that could be as much as $2 million the school board, by a 3-2 vote, started a timeline to close one of the district’s two middle schools, which is home to 599 students at 33401 N 56th St. in Cave Creek.
Following last week’s school board meeting Superintendent Debbi Burdick said there aren’t many options remaining to try and slice an ever-dwindling education budget.
“We cut millions last year,” she said. “We have a very limited number of places we can go. Nobody wants to close a school. That’s a horrible reality, but the challenge is the school board has made keeping class sizes small and maintaining programs a priority.”
By closing DAMS, one of the district’s older schools, the district estimates it would save $535,000.
“Most of that would come in the form of infrastructure along with front office staff, a plant manager, custodial, and two teachers,” Burdick said. “We also would save on the upkeep we’re spending to maintain Desert Arroyo.”
Under that scenario students would remain in elementary school through sixth grade rather than only through fifth grade at each of the district’s five elementary schools. At the middle school level all seventh and eight graders in the district would attend Sonoran Trails Middle School, located at 5555 E. Pinnacle Vista in Phoenix.
The district would then look at the possibility of leasing DAMS to other entities as a way of bringing in revenue.
While Burdick said parents of elementary students have largely been satisfied with the idea of having their children spend their sixth grade year at their elementary the idea of closing DAMS has once again caused a stir amongst middle school parents.
“The parents of DAMS students are very, very upset,” Burdick said. “We’re at a very frustrating point. We must balance our budget. We have to find places to cut in order to meet our needs. Parents obviously are concerned about their children, but as a district we must think of the well being of 5,700 kids.”
Virgel Cain, who served on the school board in 2008 and represents Cave Creek Support Our Students, an advocacy organization comprised of CCUSD parents, teachers, students, community members, business leaders, administrators and staff said that people should consider carefully the options before they condemn the idea of closing the school.
“Personally, I’m not in favor of closing any school,” he said. “That would be my last resort, but I think people have to be realistic that there may not be another palatable way. I don’t envy the folks on the board in any way shape or form. Nobody wants to cut programs, especially at the elementary level. Learning at the early levels is the foundation for growing interest in music, arts and all those things that make for a well-rounded education.”
In saving DAMS last year Burdick said teachers lost about 2.5 percent of their pay last year and are facing pay cuts and furlough days this year, even if the school is closed.
If the board once again chooses to keep DAMS open Burdick said the cuts will get worse.
“If we were to change course and decide we’re willing to increase class sizes by an average of three students per class we could save $800,000 by eliminating some teaching positions. We could drop art, P.E. and music at the elementary school level. There aren’t many good options.”
When the board voted to keep DAMS open for the 2009-2010 school year board member David Schaefer said the district might not have any other options in the future.
“We have utilized almost all the cost saving options we have,” he said.
The school board has started the process to close DAMS earlier this year than a year ago. While Burdick acknowledged that one factor allowing the district to keep DAMS open last year was that the budget didn’t come in as dire as they had feared, the board also started the process later, as it wasn’t until July 7, 2009 that the school board made its final decision to keep the school open.
The reality is closing the school and reshuffling students in time to be ready for the first day of classes in August would have been a logistical nightmare.
By getting the process started in January this year the school district will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the district office in which members of the public will have a chance to address the board.
“You can’t help but take into account the parents response,” he said. “Last year there were probably 150-200 people that showed up to speak and they were all against closing the school. The board will probably face a bunch of angry people again.”
Following the public hearing will be the school board vote, set for March 30. By making the decision in March it would give the district all of April, May, June and July to prep for the elimination of one of the district’s two middle schools should the board vote to close DAMS.