Amphitheater Public Schools

The District will continue to adhere to Governing Board policy regarding class sizes. If students have been in class rooms at schools that are dramatically under-enrolled, they may see larger class sizes than in previous years. However, the classes will remain in line with Amphitheater policy,

We will continue to offer art, music and PE for all of our elementary school students.

We will continue to offer band and orchestra at our schools.

Three primary factors are contributing to enrollment decline:

• Declining birth rates: Arizona’s birth rate dropped by 33% from 2007 to 2021.
• Expansion of private school vouchers. As of May 12, 2025, 88,862 students were receiving vouchers to pay for private school tuition, curricula, educational supplies and tutoring. Students can only get voucher funding if they do not attend a public school. In the Amphitheater boundaries, 1,367 students were receiving vouchers, totaling $13.5 million in funding as of fourth quarter 2024. Students who were already enrolled in private education were receiving $11.8 million of that total. This means that students in the Amphitheater boundary who had been in public school and are now in private school or microschools were receiving $1.7 million per year that at one time went to public education.
• Surge of charter and private schools in the Amphitheater boundary. The Amphitheater boundary area has 21 charter and private schools. To put that into perspective, Catalina Foothills has two, Flowing Wells has four, Marana has three and Sunnyside has five.

Since 2005, Amphitheater has experienced a steady decline in enrollment. Find a chart that shows the trend here.

The national birth rate has been in steady decline since 2005. Find a chart that shows birth rate data since 1970 here. We are working on collecting birth rate data specifically for the Amphitheater District. We will update this question with that information when it is available.

The declines in enrollment have resulted in campuses that are dramatically under-enrolled. This table shows the enrollment and capacity of each of our sites, along with the annual operational and per-student operational costs. Note: The table was presented to the Governing Board in the spring using data available at that time.

At Amphitheater, our first priority is always what’s best for students and families. We also take into consideration our staff and community.

For school closures and consolidations, we will weigh several factors, including:

• Impact on students and families
• Impact on staff
• Impact on the community
• Cost-Benefit analysis
• Possible outcomes for the building and grounds (repurposing, leasing, sale, etc.)

We are also gathering input from students, families, community members, certified staff, classified staff, and administrators through our Superintendent Student Advisory Council, Superintendent Certified and Classified Advisory Councils, and our Superintendent Community Advisory Council. Additionally, we are meeting with our Budget Advisory Committee, which includes parents, community members and staff.

Through these groups, all constituents are represented. We also welcome additional feedback through our answers@amphi.com email address.

The Superintendent will make the final determination on what schools to recommend for closure. The Governing Board will vote on whether to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation.

We are collecting feedback and input from our advisory groups, including:

• Student Advisory Council
• Community Council
• Budget Advisory Committee
• Certified Advisory Council
• Classified Advisory Council
• All-Team Administrative Meetings

If you have questions or would like to offer input, please email answers@amphi.com. We will consider all feedback in the decision-making process.

We are collecting feedback and input from groups that collectively represent all constituent groups:

• Student Advisory Council
• Community Council
• Budget Advisory Committee
• Certified Advisory Council
• Classified Advisory Council
• All-Team Administrative Meetings

We will continue to share information through our website, in our advisory meetings and through ParentSquare, our communication platform. Additionally, the Superintendent is visiting each campus to discuss the budget and consolidation with staff members.

If you have questions or would like to offer input, please email answers@amphi.com.

The boundaries for receiving schools will be redrawn to incorporate students from the closed schools.

Equity across feeder patterns is one of the factors the District will consider when determining school closures and consolidations.

The Superintendent expects to make determinations in October/November. Once those are finalized, District leaders will begin to discuss implementation, including staffing. Some staffing decisions are dependent on enrollment, so projections based on the consolidation decisions will impact those decisions.

We hold community meetings to discuss the decisions and answer questions in mid-November. We will provide dates when they are finalized.

We monitor enrollment trends and our enrollment data closely and will make adjustments in we see significant changes.

The District has been collecting information from other districts that have closed schools to learn about how they unified students, staff and school communities after consolidation. Once determinations have been made, teams will develop concrete plans for bringing our students, families and staff together as unified campuses. If you have ideas in this area, please send them to answers@amphi.com.

School districts across Arizona and around the nation have closed schools or are in the midst of closing schools. Examples in Arizona include, Paradise Valley, Roosevelt, Cave Creek, Mesa and Kyrene.

We will share information with staff and families through our website and ParentSquare, our communication platform. Staff and families can also find information presented to the Governing Board by visiting amphi.com/governingboard.

We will share information through ParentSquare, our website and our newsletters. If you have questions or are seeking information that has not been provided, please email answers@amphi.com. We aim to respond withing 24 hours on workdays.

The best way to get answers to questions or request information to email answers@amphi.com. We aim to respond within 24 hours on workdays.

The email inbox is monitored by Michelle Valenzuela, Director of Communications, and Beth Lake, Community and Family Engagement Coordinator. If questions are submitted that they can’t answer, they reach out to the staff member who can find the information.

We will work with staff, families, administrators and community members to create strong communities that represent the best of our schools and our District. 

The goal through consolidation is to keep our school and District culture, to ensure that Amphitheater’s values and vision remain strong for future generations.

The factors will be considered after determinations are made with input from all constituent groups.

Parents, volunteers and community partners are essential to our schools and our District. We will work with these groups and organizations to ensure smooth transitions.

Bus routes will change for the affected schools, though ride times are expected to remain similar to current times. Families will be notified when consolidation determinations have been made and routes can be finalized.

While destinations may change if children change schools, transportation will continue to be provided according to Governing Board policy.

We do not anticipate significant changes to start and end times. We may see shifts by five or 10 minutes, depending on transportation needs.

Once decisions are final, we will work to address any changes to parking and traffic flow that may be necessary.

The District will continue to maintain and secure any vacated buildings until determinations for use can be made.

We do not anticipate changes in feeder patterns for middle schools and high schools.

Children who receive special education services will continue to receive those services. The Student Services department will work with each school to ensure IEPs, 504s and any other special services are provided and fulfilled.

The Student Services Department will evaluate needs and requirements for all students receiving special education services and work with families and school teams to ensure a smooth transition.

We anticipate continuing to offer preschool education at all of our elementary, K-8s and high schools

We will work with community partners and volunteers to transition their work into merged schools.

We do not anticipate an impact on free/reduced lunch qualifications at this time. We will evaluate this when determinations are made.

The District is conducting a review of capacity at each campus and will consider that data in decision-making.

The District continues to evaluate potential financial impacts, which are dependent on which schools are closed or consolidated.

As part of the District’s commitment to transparency, all public financial reports will be shared.

Savings will be used to help the District remain financially secure into the future, barring significant drops in enrollment and/or significant cuts to funding for public schools.

The District is grateful to the Amphi community for continuing to support our bond and override programs. Bond funds are earmarked for specific needs, such as facility maintenance (HVAC, plumbing, etc), technology and safety measures. Override funds are used for expenses fr expanded early childhood education, instruction in art, music and PE, and for smaller class sizes in grades K-3. The funds from bonds and overrides cannot legally be used for purposes outside of the uses permitted by voters when the measures were on the ballot.

The District will follow Governing Board policy for reassignment and changes in employment. It’s important to note that each year, the District fills 50 to 60 teacher vacancies due to resignations and retirements. We anticipate filling many of those positions with teachers impacted by consolidation.

The District will follow Governing Board policy for reassignment and changes in employment.

Staffing will continue to be based on enrollment, school and student needs and according to Governing Board policy.