PHOENIX — Arizona has too few affordable housing rentals, but too many schools.
Now, Sen. John Kavanagh thinks he's found a way to convert the two problems into a solution: Allow unused schools to be sold off or leased to be made into housing for teachers and other workers in government and critical workforce sectors.
Kavanagh acknowledged that school buildings were designed and built with a specific purpose in mind, providing classrooms, offices and bathrooms scattered throughout. But the Fountain Hills Republican said there's no reason they cannot be repurposed.
"That's an architectural question,'' Kavanagh said. "There was a time when people said they could never do that because only the core of the building had plumbing, and all that stuff. They're converting office buildings right now to residential.''
The problem starts with the declining number of children in Arizona public schools.
Some of that is a demographic change: Families are starting later and having fewer children.
But the explosion of charter schools also siphoned off many children from traditional neighborhood public schools. And, more recently, lawmakers made vouchers of taxpayer dollars available to any parent to send a child to private or parochial school or use the funds — an average of $7,400 per student a year — for homeschooling.
That's reflected in the numbers. The most recent figures from the state Department of Education show total enrollment in traditional public schools at 868,690. That compares with 928,526 five years ago and 962,277 a decade ago.
All that has left some districts — particularly those in areas already built up — with more schools than they need.
Tucson Unified School District, for example, lists 15 schools as surplus. While some are being leased to other users, such as the community college system or charter schools, others are listed for sale.
Four elementary schools in Tucson's Amphitheater Unified School District could be closed next year due to declining enrollment.
In Tempe, Kyrene Elementary School District voted earlier this month to close two middle schools and four elementary schools.
And in Gilbert, the board is set to vote in January whether to close Pioneer Elementary school.
Kavanagh said he sees no downside to his plan to have schools make their unused properties available.
"It gets them some extra cash, solves workforce problems, and it takes empty buildings off their hands,'' he said. "I mean, it's a win for everybody.''
The senator said he sees it in his home community. "They've lost two schools in Fountain Hills,'' he said.
Kavanagh doesn't believe many communities, including his, will need to hang on to them for future growth.
"We're almost built out,'' he said, with little prospect of an influx of young families with school-age children.
His Senate Bill 1080 would allow school districts to enter into a partnership with private entities to sell or lease their buildings or land to provide for "affordable housing for critical workforce sectors.''
That is defined as firefighters, peace officers, emergency medical services personnel, hospital workers, health-care employees, childcare workers, direct care workers, and teachers and school employees.
None of this would be automatic.
Districts would have to get an independent analysis of the fair market value of the property as well as the economic impact of the proposed project. Then there would be a public meeting where the district board would consider community input.
There would also be a 45-day period for additional public comment. And, finally, it would take a two-thirds vote of the district governing board to approve the deal.
Any funds raised could be used to maintain and upgrade remaining school facilities, Kavanagh said.
Less clear is whether such plans could be stifled because of existing zoning.
On one hand, Kavanagh said schools are often in areas where there already is commercial or multi-family development. He said the kind of apartments he envisions should fit right in and not run afoul of that.
But he conceded plans could run into problems if the school building being sought for conversion into an apartment complex is in the middle of single-family homes, where existing residents could object.
No date has been set for a legislative hearing on his measure.
Some districts have already been finding their own ways to create affordable housing.
Flagstaff Unified School District transferred property it owns near Sinagua Middle School to the city with the specific goal of facilitating the development of affordable housing on the 18.8-acre site.
And school districts in Vail, Prescott and Chino Valley have decided to build "tiny homes'' on school property for their teachers.
