By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Summer break is over, but for the administration at Sierra Vista Unified, the last few months were anything but a vacation.
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SVUD spokesperson Valerie Weller says the district has undergone a significant transformation.
“Our summer really was spent consolidating the schools into the five remaining ones we have here in the district.”
In a shift from the old model, the district now features four neighborhood schools. Three of them – Carmichael, Huachuca Mountain, and Pueblo del Sol – will serve students from kindergarten through 7th grade.
Town and Country will be kindergarten through 8th grade this year, and next year they will all be K-8.
While fewer buildings might sound like a loss, the district says it’s actually a win for students by centralizing resources.
“[This decision] is really giving us the opportunity to expand programs cause we’re not spread so thin over 8 schools and can really focus on the 5 we have,” says Weller.
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They now have the budget to do it. The district has not only managed to ‘stop the bleed’, but it is actually starting the year with a one-million-dollar carryover from the previous fiscal year, giving them a solid financial footing to support new initiatives.
But it’s not just about logistics; it’s about the welcome.
Every year, the district kicks off with a special event at Buena High School, inviting community leaders to greet students on day one.
“It starts off at Buena High School. In the past it was an event called ‘Men in Suits’,” says Weller.
“Our mayor comes, chief of police, business leaders in the community. They’re just there in the main hall welcoming the kids as they come in and really saying, ‘Have a good year!’”
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