By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Wednesday marks the first day of school for Amphitheater Public Schools, and for hundreds of students, it means walking into a new building for the first time.
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The Amphi Governing Board previously voted to close four elementary schools, redirecting students to other campuses across the district. At Painted Sky Elementary, many students arriving from Copper Creek were greeted by familiar faces, including their former teachers, classmates, and administrators who made the move alongside them.
Stephanie Hillig, principal at Painted Sky Elementary, said the transition feels less like a disruption and more like a reunion.
“I am so excited because I was the former principal of Copper Creek. Last year I was the principal for both schools,” Hillig said. “It’s just like bringing both sides of my family together.”
About 35 percent of Copper Creek’s student body is now enrolled at Painted Sky. To ease the transition, staff spent the past few weeks hosting families on campus – showing them around, getting them comfortable, and signing them up for after-school programs.
Rather than overwhelming new students with change, Hillig said the school’s focus is on building core skills.
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“One could be communication, one could be collaboration, problem solving, caring. We have all sorts of different characteristics that we focus on, so we just want to make sure we’re harnessing that power, as well as focusing on our college and career framework,” Hillig said.
That approach is driving the district’s consolidation plan as a whole. Here is where students from the four closed schools are being placed:
- Copper Creek students are heading to Painted Sky, Wilson K-8, and Harelson.
- Donaldson students move to Mesa Verde.
- Holaway students head to Rio Vista.
- Nash Elementary students are splitting between Keeling and Walker.
As those schools absorb more students this year, the district is asking parents to be patient in drop-off and pick-up lines and to slow down in school zones.
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