Parents and employees of Thornydale Elementary attend a public comment about the closure of their school held in the school's cafeteria on March 27, 2018
The Marana Unified School District heard from Thornydale Elementary parents, teachers and staff at a public hearing this week on whether to close the school. The MUSD Governing Board, which has final say, is already considering alternatives for the future of the building.
If the board votes to close the school, the district administration has to submit a recommendation for the use of the facility beginning in the 2019-20 school year, according to Superintendent Doug Wilson.
In January, the board started considering a range of options, like a Play and Learn program, a special education department, a wellness center, additional high school programs, or even a career and technical education center to replace the property.
But before those can be considered for final approval, the board must vote on whether or not to close the elementary school.
MUSD emailed Thornydale parents in March telling them the school's decline in enrollment has forced them to consider a shutdown over fiscal concerns.
A parent at holds up a sign at a public meeting on the future of Thornydale Elementary.
Parents and employees of the school were invited to a public comment session in the school's cafeteria earlier this week and hear comments from the superintendent.
"We believe the decline in enrollment is contributed to the neighborhood having matured, resulting in fewer elementary school age students in the neighborhood," Wilson said at the public comment. "As well as competing charter schools having opened in the area."
People continued to pack the cafeteria as Wilson told teachers, staff and administrators that they will be able to transfer to other schools, like the new K-8 school under construction in Dove Mountain.
Distric employee and parent Melissa Arvizu opened up the public comment moments after Wilson's statements. She said leaving the school means losing a tradition where graduating seniors return to the halls of Thornydale encouraging younger students.
"My sixth-grade daughter wants to know when she graduates from Mountain View, where will she go to walk the halls?" Arvizu asked the board. "Where will she get to show her honor and pride of being a Marana student? Don’t steal our children's legacy."
If the board votes to close the school, it would be effective June 2019, expanding the boundaries for Quail Run and Butterfield Elementary to take in the Thornydale Thunderbirds. Butterfield currently has 472 students enrolled. Quail Run has 523. All MUSD elementary schools are capable of holding 700 to 750 students, according to the superintendent.
Thornydale 307 students currently enrolled, 117 of them come from outside the district, meaning parents don’t rely on district transportation to get their kids to and from school.
Amber Kramer a teacher at Thornydale, told the board that parents won't stay with Marana if the district closes their elementary school.
"In a survey sent out to Thunderbird families these last months, 53 percent of our polled parents stated they would leave the district," Kramer said. "While this decision to close Thornydale is deemed a fiscally responsible move, this decision will cost our district greatly."
VIEW LARGER Brian Bouffard owns Old Father Inn on Ina Road, and his son attended Thornydale Elementary 25 years ago. Bouffard tells the Marana Unified School District why they should wait on the closure. Brian Bouffard owns Old Father Inn on Ina Road and his son attended Thornydale 25 years ago. He told the board members at the public comment to wait and see what will happen to the neighborhood once the construction is complete on Ina Road and Interstate 10.
"There is going to be a bunch of business on Ina, going to create new jobs, new families are going to move back into this neighborhood, that’s the future of Thornydale," Bouffard said. "This neighborhood is choked off. If you leave here, you will destroy this neighborhood."
The MUSD governing board is scheduled to vote on the future of of the school at its April 12 meeting.
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