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Peoria Unified Board Closes Two Elementary Schools, Will Reconfigure Cactus High to 7–12

The unanimous decision responds to a $21 million shortfall driven by a failed override alongside falling enrollment.

Overview

  • Kachina Elementary and Pioneer Elementary will close after the 2025–26 school year, affecting about 700 students.
  • Cactus High School will operate as a 7th–12th grade campus in 2026–27, taking junior-high students from Canyon, Foothills, Kachina and Pioneer.
  • District leaders plan about 13 additional certified teachers, a dedicated junior-high counselor and one security guard at Cactus, with separate spaces for younger students.
  • The board postponed a decision on Peoria eCampus after public comment, leaving the virtual school’s future unresolved despite enrollment growth since 2021–22.
  • Officials report roughly 23% of facilities are underutilized and have already approved position cuts and furlough days, with boundary changes and campus repurposing to be decided later.