Overview
- Trustees voted unanimously to close Central Elementary at the end of this school year and to schedule Sunnyslope for 2029 and Berry for 2032.
- The new resolution revives campuses removed from a May plan and outlines phased consolidation with enrollment and financial checkpoints and no additional closures before the 2028-29 school year.
- District officials report losing more than 2,600 students over the past decade, pushing up costs per pupil and complicating maintenance needs.
- The board meeting grew contentious as teachers protested and walked out after approval of an interim superintendent pay package of nearly $18,500 per month.
- The Southwest Teachers Association, in negotiations for about a year and a half, warns it may strike in February and says staff fear displacement from the closures.