Four San Tan Valley Schools Named in FUSD's School Closure Recommendations
What Happened
Florence Unified School District's school closure committee, which has met since March, has presented two closure recommendations to the district's Budgetary Steering Committee. Each recommendation names five schools recommended for closure.
The Schools Involved
Four schools appear on both recommendation lists: San Tan Heights Elementary, Copper Basin Elementary, Florence Middle School and San Tan Mountain Middle School. The fifth school is the only difference between the two options — Recommendation 1 adds Circle Cross Ranch Elementary, while Recommendation 2 adds Skyline Ranch Elementary. Three of the four shared schools are San Tan Valley campuses; Florence Middle School is the only shared school that isn't. Circle Cross Ranch and Skyline Ranch are also San Tan Valley schools, so under either recommendation, four of the five named schools serve San Tan Valley families.
Why FUSD Is Considering This
Florence Unified serves students across Florence, San Tan Valley and Queen Creek. The district has been examining school closures, land sales and a possible four-day school week as it works to close a $5 million budget gap.
What Happens Next
No school has been closed and no closure has been approved — what exists today is a committee recommendation, not a decision. FUSD staff plan to present options to the Governing Board in November, with a board vote set for December; any approved changes would take effect the following school year. The board's next regular meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 8 at San Tan Foothills High School, 1255 W. Silverdale Road — a work study session begins at 5:30 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. That meeting is not the closure vote, but it's where this process will next surface publicly.
Sources: SanTanValley.com, “Four San Tan Valley Schools Appear in Both FUSD Closure Recommendations” (Aug. 30, 2026)