By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Tucson Unified School District is recommending the closure of Hudlow Elementary and its consolidation with Sewell Elementary.
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Hudlow was the first school on a list that may include up to 10 schools by the end of the week.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the district said Dunham Elementary may consolidate with Marshall Elementary.
The district said it would be announcing one set of schools each night this week. Hudlow parents received the news that their school was recommended for closure on Monday, Oct. 19.
The district said low birth rates, charter schools, and ESAs have caused a drop in enrollment and funding.
The TUSD said it must close schools to balance its budget.
Parent reaction
Stephanie Alvarez has two children at Hudlow.
“I’m really sad. I actually wanted to cry. And I kind of hope that it just goes away – that it’s not true,” Alvarez said.
Her son has a speech delay and is on an individualized education program.
“He’s getting all the support he needs here, so if he goes to another school, is he going to get that same support?” Alvarez said.
The district recommends her son attend Sewell, about eight minutes away by car.
Committee weighs in
Jim Byrne leads Tucson Education Association and serves on the school closures committee.
“Sewell as the crow flies is pretty close, so it wouldn’t be a major disruption in transportation – when it comes to the bussing system, or with parents and guardians with pickup and drop-off,” Byrne said.
Byrne said the district considered a variety of factors before making a decision about Hudlow.
“I’m sure it checked sort of the box of being under-enrolled – as not capturing a lot in its neighborhood – the projects for it to stabilize or rebound,” Byrne said.
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Overcrowding concerns
Other parents said they’re worried about the receiving schools – in this case, Sewell Elementary.
When schools combine, that can cause overcrowding.
TUSD parent Lesia Martinez pulled her daughter out of Booth Fickett Elementary, another TUSD school, when her daughter’s class reached 40 students.
“She would tell me, ‘I can’t learn because there’s too many students, they won’t stop talking,’” Martinez said.
Martinez said there weren’t enough teachers or resources to combine the classes effectively, so she moved her daughter to a charter school.
“The best decision for me was to move her, and I think it was, because she’s doing much better education-wise,” Martinez said.
She hopes TUSD will handle this consolidation well.
What’s next
TUSD is announcing one school for closure and one for consolidation every night this week. An up-to-date list is available here.
The district’s next board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Palo Verde High, and the board will accept public comment on the closures.
The district has said it will host another community meeting on Nov. 17, but those details have not been announced yet.
On Dec. 8, the governing board is set to vote on the list of schools suggested for closure or consolidation.
Isabela Lisco is aReport for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and theArizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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