The Roosevelt School District has announced the closure of five schools to address a $5 million budget deficit. The schools closing are Maxine O. Bush Elementary, C.J. Jorgensen Academy of Service Learning, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, V.H. Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition, and John R. Davis Elementary. The decision was made following a 4-1 vote by the district's Governing Board on Thursday night, according to reports from FOX 10 Phoenix.
Lawrence Robinson was the only Governing Board member to vote against closing several schools, expressing concerns that the community's voices weren't being heard. "I feel like we're not being listened to by our electees. The elected leaders are not paying attention to the most core values that we have, so maybe we're going to really have to change the institutions and the people that we elect to them," Robinson said. On the other hand, Governing Board President Shelley Jackson supported the closures, stating, "I voted yes tonight because I believe that every dollar should go back into our students and our students deserve the best possibility of a future through education as possible and we can't do that when we're stretching our resources across so many schools." The closures will affect about 1,500 students and staff, with the changes taking place in the 2025-2026 school year, following a decline of over 5,200 students in the district since 2007, as mentioned by FOX 10 Phoenix and AZ Family.
Roosevelt School District Superintendent Dani Portillo explained that closing some schools is necessary because empty buildings still cost money to maintain. He said, "Half-empty buildings still require water, air-conditioning, and maintenance at 100% of their size. When our buildings are full, we can fund the programs and services that enabled our district to move from a D to a B in the past two years. Our students deserve increased resources that result in higher achievement." With nearly 900 students leaving for private and charter schools, the district is responding to the shift. Although the future of the buildings is unclear, President Jackson reassured the community, saying, "The closing schools have historic and cultural significance in our community. Those buildings will be repurposed for community good. Whether it’s a community center, healthcare services, or early childhood programs, the new community partnerships housed in our closed campuses will be worthy of the namesakes our buildings honor," as stated by AZ Family.
