Tonight: Tucson School Closure Smackdown

by David Safier

This is the big night for four Tucson elementary schools. According to the Star, “The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. today, but the closure portion is expected to start around 7:45 p.m., followed by boundary changes, if warranted. Public input won’t be taken.” The meeting is at Morrow Education Center, 1010 E. 10th St.

The Star article sets the scene, summarizing the positions of each of the Board members. What I deduced from their statements is, some of the schools will be spared the ax.

Which ones? It seems to me that by rights, Ochoa should be at the top of the “spared” list, though that goes against my cynical view that low income communities tend to lose in these kinds of battles. A Star editorial recommends that Wrightstown and Rogers be closed and Ochoa and Corbett remain open. And in an op ed, a woman with two children at Corbett argues it should remain open.

I’m planning to be there tonight to see what happens. I’ll see if I can beat the dailies and the TV news and report the decision — or indecision — of the Board when I get home.