Summary — The SUSD has projected serious financial shortfalls for its upcoming budget cycles. It has challenged our community to offer better solutions. The Pima PTO has fully immersed itself into the situation and has formulated the following solution:

One of the key issues facing the Coronado Complex is a temporary declining student population caused by past market factors that are currently correcting themselves in our southern Scottsdale community. To rally around this correction and to solve some of the SUSD budget issues, a Kindergarten-through-Eighth Grade (K-8) configuration should be implemented right away. A return to the original K-8 model and a plan to revert/rebuild Hohokam, Pima, Tonalea, and Yavapai to "green" K-8 facilities provides both short-term and long-term solutions to SUSD and our southern Scottsdale schools with zero student displacement. The plan includes the transition of Supai Middle School to a K-8 facility that will reduce the significant loss of SUSD students that has historically been seen in our complex's middle school transitions. This plan will also ease District financial concerns and enhances the community focus/interest in our neighborhood schools.

This Alternate Option follows the growing national trend of reviving the K-8 configuration. While school districts across the Country find it more cost-efficient, research also indicates that K-8 students show higher test scores in math and reading, have higher attendance rates, as well as display better self-esteem, leadership, and attitudes toward school. All these factors positively affect school performance and achievement.

This Alternate option will allow for a gradual, incremental transition. As each facility is eventually rebuilt with a K-8 design, master plans will include “green” elements such as solar panels and use of renewable resources.

Below is a step by step outline:

Step 1:
Begin modification to Hohokam, Pima, Tonalea, and Yavapai to conform to K-8. These minimal modifications can begin as early as this summer and throughout the 2008/2009 school year.

Step 2:
Starting in 2009/2010 begin transition of Supai Middle School to a K-8 facility; Supai will only house 8th grade students. Hohokam, Pima, Tonalea, and Yavapai will retain their 7th graders. Work begins on Supai to adjust for incoming kindergarten and other 1-6 students.

Step 3:
Starting in 2010/2011 the entire admin staff, teachers and students of Tonalea move into Supai making it a model Tonalea-Supai K-8 facility.

Step 4:
In 2010/2011 the entire admin staff, teachers and students of Hohokam will utilize Tonalea as a holding school while Hohokam is razed and rebuilt as a K-8 elementary school similar in model to Tonalea-Supai.

Step 5:
In 2011/2012 Hohokam moves back into their new K-8 facility. Revenue generating options for the former Tonalea sight are explored. Pima shares Hohokam’s facility for sports while Yavapai continues to share Tonalea-Supai's.

The solution is viable with significant financial and community benefits, both short and long-term. Closing an elementary school in southern Scottsdale is NOT viable and will reap minimal cost savings when considering the overall scope of such a drastic measure. K-8 is a real solution at the right time that our community overwhelmingly supports.

K-8 option is right answer for Coronado Area