Public Uproar Sparks Rally Ahead of Roosevelt School District Board Meeting

PHOENIX — A rally is set to take place at 5:30 p.m. outside the Roosevelt District Office on the same day as the school board’s 6 p.m. reorganization meeting. This event follows a recent decision by the board to close five schools due to declining enrollment.

The Roosevelt School District Board voted 4-1 on December 5, 2024, to close these schools, impacting approximately 1,500 students and staff members.

The schools slated for closure include:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, merging with Percy L. Julian School.
• Maxine O. Bush Elementary School moving to Cloves C. Campbell Sr. Elementary School.
• V.H. Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition consolidating with Ignacio Conchos Elementary School.
• C.J. Jorgensen Academy of Service Learning relocating to Ed and Verma Pastor Elementary School.
• John R. Davis Elementary School transferring to Sunland STEAM Academy.

The rally, announced by outgoing board member Lawrence Robinson, aims to voice concerns regarding the closures. Robinson was the sole member to vote against the proposal at the earlier meeting.