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Florence Unified Board Votes Unanimously to Close Three Schools, Relocate Florence Middle
The Florence Unified School District governing board voted unanimously Tuesday to close Copper Basin Elementary, Skyline Ranch Elementary and San Tan Mountain Middle School and relocate Florence Middle School, citing declining enrollment and rising facility costs. Parents of students with disabilities, including one mother whose nonverbal daughter relies on Copper Basin's special education services, are now questioning whether the district can meet their children's needs.
FLORENCE, Ariz. â The Florence Unified School District governing board voted unanimously Tuesday to close three schools and relocate a fourth, a decision district leaders say is driven by declining enrollment and rising facility costs but which has left some families uncertain about where their children will land â and whether their needs will be met.
The schools slated to close are Copper Basin Elementary School, Skyline Ranch Elementary School and San Tan Mountain Middle School. The board also plans to move Florence Middle School to a site near Florence Elementary School.
District officials have framed the consolidation as a cost-reduction measure as the district grapples with fewer students and the expense of maintaining aging buildings.
For Alyssa Valdez, the decision carries consequences that go well beyond logistics. Her 6-year-old daughter, Zoey, is a first grader at Copper Basin and has cerebral palsy. She also has epilepsy and autism and uses a G-tube, and she is nonverbal. Copper Basin, Valdez said, has provided special education services that have become central to her daughter's progress.
"It's very difficult to find a school that works for her. And it just so happens that Copper Basin meets all of her needs," Valdez said.
She described watching Zoey develop at school as deeply meaningful for the family.
"It's really amazing because Zoey is nonverbal," she said. "So to see that she is growing in such a good way, it's amazing to see the updates."
Valdez's central worry is whether a new campus will have a nurse equipped to handle her daughter's medical needs, including the G-tube and seizure risk.
"Even if they change the boundaries here, my daughter has a G-tube and she also has epilepsy on top of autism and cerebral palsy," she said. "So if they don't have a nurse that can accommodate her needs, she can't go there."
During the board meeting, one member acknowledged the weight of the vote without naming the schools individually.
"Sometimes you have to do those hard things. You have to have those hard conversations and do those hard things," the board member said.
Valdez said she hopes district leaders will account for the specialized services students with disabilities depend on as the closures move forward.
"I'm hoping they look into those little aspects because I do not think they did," she said. "And they see that even though they're willing to shut down the school, these little things that the school does provide it makes such a big difference for children who have disabilities."
The closures mark a significant reshaping of the district's footprint and will affect families across the Florence area, who now face questions about transportation, staffing and the continuity of individualized education plans. District officials have not yet detailed a timeline for the transitions or how special education services will be replicated at receiving campuses.