蜜柚直播

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 put a price tag on my son!鈥� Michelle Montanaro, a Thornydale teacher and parent, yelled after the Marana Governing Board鈥檚 presentation Tuesday night about the possible closure. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 put a price tag on any of the students in this school, OK?鈥�

But the consideration to close the northwest side school does come down to numbers, declining student enrollment specifically. Enrollment at the school has steadily fallen from over 700 students in 1994 to around 300 this year, according to MUSD Superintendent Doug Wilson.

The district predicts enrollment will continue to fall by up to 40 students over the next six years. It attributes this to the aging neighborhood surrounding the school and an increase in would-be Thornydale families sending their kids to charter schools.

Wilson said every Thornydale student costs the district around $6,500, while the average MUSD elementary student costs around $4,700. That adds up to a difference of around $550,000 鈥� money Wilson said the district could be saving if it were operating more efficiently.

鈥淲e have to be sure we鈥檙e making financially sound decisions with those dollars,鈥� Wilson said during the presentation.

If the board votes to close Thornydale, a decision that will be made in the next two weeks, students could be re-assigned to either Quail Run or Butterfield elementary schools.

Thornydale could be repurposed to house the district鈥檚 Play and Learn preschool program, health services and student services. Such a move would allow Marana鈥檚 career and technical high school program, MCAT, to move to and expand at the district campus at 11279 W. Grier Road.

#SaveThornydale

The 70 or so parents, teachers, students and community members who filled Thornydale鈥檚 cafeteria were upset the district judged the school鈥檚 worth in terms of money. Some wore #SaveThornydale shirts while others held homemade #ThornydaleStrong signs.

They can鈥檛 believe the district is again putting their kids鈥� school on the chopping block.

鈥淭he ink had barely dried on our ballots when you told us this was going up again,鈥� said Montanaro, who has taught second grade at Thornydale for 14 years. 鈥淲hatever it is we鈥檙e spending money on, we鈥檙e not spending it right.鈥�

Parents of children with special needs were especially concerned about the school closing. Moving schools is extremely difficult for kids with cognitive and physical disabilities, according to Lizan Mayer, whose 6-year-old son with autism attends Thornydale.

鈥淣ow, everything is calm, everything is cool, everything is collected,鈥� she said. But it took months of head banging, body slamming flare up episodes for her son to feel comfortable going to school.

Jaqueline Stein said Thornydale helped her son, who has autism, grow in a way other schools 鈥� and even therapy 鈥� hadn鈥檛.

鈥淭he children here are integrated with those with special needs,鈥� Stein said. Going to school alongside neurotypical kids who understood how to play and interact with kids who, like her son, have autism or another disability has been one of the greatest benefits.

The fact that Marana might close Thornydale makes her feel like her 鈥渟pecial needs kiddo doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥�

Parents are also frustrated the district isn鈥檛 giving the neighborhood a chance to catch up with the inevitable growth they say Marana will experience in the next few years.

鈥淵ou are prematurely looking at this decision,鈥� community member Brian Bouffard said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking at the future 鈥� you鈥檙e only looking at the past. Every inch up and down Ina is gonna be full.鈥�

Some teachers present at the meeting said they would consider leaving MUSD if the district votes to shut down Thornydale.

鈥淚f that happens, I鈥檓 getting my resume and going,鈥� said Wendy Hamm, who has taught in 蜜柚直播 for over 20 years and in Marana for the last two. Hamm doesn鈥檛 want to leave the district, but she also doesn鈥檛 want to be part of the district if she can鈥檛 teach at a school she loves.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a heavy weight on everyone鈥檚 heart,鈥� Hamm added.

Governing Board member John Lewandowksi said he feels deeply conflicted about potentially shutting down Thornydale and doesn鈥檛 know how he鈥檚 going to vote. His two daughters attended the school, so he feels for Thornydale parents and their anxiety about the possible closure.

鈥淢y heart is with them,鈥� Lewandowksi said. 鈥淣ow I gotta get my mind to make a decision.鈥�

Superintendent Wilson declined to comment on the concerns parents expressed during the public hearing. Board members Suzanne Hopkins, Dan Post and board president Thom Carlson did not respond to emails for comment. Vice president Maribel Lopez was not present at the meeting.

The board will vote on Thornydale鈥檚 fate at its Dec. 6 meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Marana Municipal Complex, ive.