Dietz K-8 is bursting at the seams, so much so that TUSD is considering closing the east side school and relocating to the campus that once housed Carson Middle School.
Carson, which has room for as many as 900 students and is located less than two miles away, was shuttered in 2013 as a cost-saving measure and its students were dispersed to two neighboring schools, one of which is Dietz.
Since then, every nook and cranny of Dietz is being utilized for learning β the teacher's lounge is currently being eyed for classroom space, said Dietz Principal Tiffany McKee.
While two portable trailers were brought in β each of which contain two classrooms β there are not enough bathrooms and Dietz is forced to run more lunches than schools normally do because the cafeteria, which also serves as a practice space for the school band and dance students, can only serve so many children at a time.
Campus events also have had to be scheduled in parts, dividing the school community.
The constraints led to conversations at Dietz among the staff and site council about what could be done to relieve the overcrowding. That resulted in McKee seeking out TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez about whether moving into Carson was an option.
The district initially looked at whether any permanent structures could be added at Dietz, but that was deemed impossible given that the school is located on a hill and the property itself is not very large, Sanchez said.
βWithout getting rid of all of the playground and then having to build a multistory structure, it wouldnβt be possible to give Dietz the kind of space it needs,β he said.
In addition to the lack of indoor space, Dietz does not have the kind of athletics amenities needed for middle school-level competition.Β
While the school has the ability to host basketball and volleyball games, it cannot do the same for soccer or track, but that did not stop the Dietz Dragons from competing and making it to the playoffs in soccer and to the city competition in track, McKee said.
"Look at what we're doing now with our tiny little area," McKee said. "Imagine what we could do with broader facilities. The possibilities are limitless."Β
The cost to get Carson in tip-top shape is estimated around $7 million, an expense the Tucson Unified School District would like to have covered with desegregation funds, though the proposal has not yet been shared with the parties in the decades-old case.
With 500-plus students, the Carson site is too big for Dietz right now but given the east side schoolβs steady growth over the last few years, TUSD believes enrollment will increase enough to make good use of the campus.
βI think it has an opportunity to be competitive and fill up in that corner,β Sanchez said. βI think weβve under-invested in the southeast side of the district so this would be a good opportunity to reinvest.β
Governing Board Member Michael Hicks agreed, saying if the districtβs goal is to bring more students into TUSD, schools have to be given the tools and facilities needed to serve students well.
Despite having received the green light from the TUSD Governing Board to explore the option of re-opening Carson, the district will ultimately have to get approval from the court overseeing the district's desegregation efforts. Β
One group that has not been consulted about the possible closure of Dietz is the neighborhood, said Georgia Brousseau, president of the Dietz neighborhood association.
The neighborhood association has worked closely with the school over the years, fundraising on its behalf and volunteering when needed, she said.
βWe believe in Dietz,β Brousseau told the Governing Board Tuesday. βI believe the principal when she tells me the needs are extreme and important. I want to talk to you about our community. When you take away from us a school site and have offered nothing to fill that school site, you are creating a basis for vandalism, for destruction, for lowering property values and messing up a really nice little neighborhood.β
Should the district move forward with the plan to close Dietz, the neighborhood would like to see a community center developed to serve the needs of families, Brousseau said.
