The Scottsdale Unified School District board has voted to close Copper Ridge K-8 and Laguna Prep by the end of the 2027-28 school year, in a move affecting about 900 pupils.
The decision was approved by a 3-2 vote at a meeting on Tuesday, 6 October, after a heated debate over falling enrolment and the district’s finances. Board members Amy Carney and Carine Werner opposed the closures.
Both members had sought to delay the vote, but their motions to table the decision were defeated. Parents, former pupils and other community members also spoke against the plans during the meeting.
Scottsdale school closures linked to falling enrolment
Scottsdale Unified has lost more than 6,000 pupils since 2010, according to district figures, with enrolment falling from more than 26,000 students to about 20,000.
The district says it is also facing rising costs, increased competition from other schools and the cost of living in Scottsdale. It estimates that closing Copper Ridge and Laguna Prep could save about $2.7 million.
Students at the two schools will be reassigned under a new attendance-boundary plan. Copper Ridge pupils are expected to move to Desert Canyon, while Laguna pupils will be divided between Redfield, Anasazi and Cochise elementary schools.
The chosen plan was one of three options considered by the board. It was described during a public hearing in September as the option offering the greatest savings and the least disruption, although many families argued that the schools should remain open.
More than 80 people addressed that public hearing, which lasted for more than three hours. Supporters of Laguna Prep highlighted its science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics programmes, including a science laboratory, makerspace and robotics provision.
The closures follow the board’s decision last year to shut Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon K-8. A proposed merger of Desert Canyon Elementary and Middle schools was previously put on hold.
