Some elementary schools in the Amphitheater Public School District might need to be closed in the upcoming school year due to a drop in enrollment and budget cuts, its superintendent told staff and parents this week.
“Enrollment in Amphi schools has declined nearly every year for the past decade,” Superintendent Todd Jaeger said in an email sent to staff Thursday morning and later to parents. “The trend of declining enrollment continued into this year, with a projected enrollment loss of about 300 students currently.
Jaeger said demographic forecasts show there’s “little reason to believe this will turn around for many years to come.”
Up to five elementary schools could be closed next year in the Amphitheater School District due to a drop in enrollment and funding cuts, Superintendent Todd Jaeger told staff and parents.
“School consolidation is a complicated and weighty process. I want to assure the community that as we evaluate all of the factors that go into making determinations, we are remaining true to Amphitheater’s core values and are putting students first,” he said Friday in a follow-up news release.
Amphi has 22 schools: 12 elementary, two K–8, three middle, three high schools, a virtual school and a special education learning center.
“We currently believe we will need to close no more than four elementary schools, but it is possible we might need to close as many as five — depending upon a number of factors we continue to evaluate,” the superintendent said in the email.
No decision has been made regarding school consolidations or closures. Input will be collected over the next two months.
Go to https://www.amphi.com/consolidationfaq for more information and email answers@amphi.com to provide feedback or to ask questions.
