Scottsdale Unified Votes To Close Two More Schools

After months of debate, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) voted 3-2 to close Laguna Prep and Copper Ridge K-8 at the end of the 2026-27 school year.

Board members Donna Lewis, Mike Sharkey, and Matthew Pittinsky broke their 2024 campaign pledge to oppose school closures by voting in favor of adopting Phase II Option C. Opposing board members Amy Carney and Carine Werner tried to table the issue citing the need to exhaust all viable options before making a final decision. The motion failed 3-2.

During the October 6, 2026, public hearing, several SUSD community members expressed concerns about skewed data and pleaded with the governing board to postpone the vote.

One resident pointed out that model six of Phase II would save the district $3 million and maximize student retention. However, that same model had an incorrect enrollment projection that accounted for all the neighborhood kids, including those attending private and charter schools. Another speaker advised the board to consider Phase II Option A in lieu of model six as it would allow more families to remain together.

During board member comments, Pittinsky claimed he was “deeply, deeply frustrated to be in this situation” because he “did not run to close schools.” He also attributed the 26% enrollment decline since 2010 to “competition” and the “education freedom agenda,” an apparent reference to Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.

At one point during his speech, Pittinsky also blamed Carney and Werner for supporting parental rights in education. Later on, Carney countered his accusations by pointing out that although her children were eligible for ESAs she never applied to the program. However, Pittinsky has enrolled her kids in private schools.

In an interview with the Arizona Globe, Carney said, “Pittinsky blamed me and Werner for protecting school choice. Teachers unions are blaming ESAs for school closures across the state. This is a political move and our district is just a pawn in their game. Why are we fighting ESAs instead of fighting to make our district the schools of choice for people? Parents should have the right to take their kids where they see fit if they feel Scottsdale Unified is not giving them the best education.”

The October 6 agenda also included a discussion on the Open Meeting Law (OML) disposition letter it received from the Maricopa County Attorney Rachell Mitchell’s Office. Mitchell’s team cautioned the district regarding its reliance on superintendent-created panels, stating that while the establishment of the Phase II Design Advisory Team technically falls outside the formal statutory criteria for an advisory committee, its intent and actions function in that exact manner.

SUSD has previously received warnings from state officials that school boards cannot circumvent public access rules by having administrators assemble informal groups to handle business that legally requires public transparency.

Speaking on the OML violation, Carney told the Globe, “What this boils down to is, we didn’t take the community along with us. I kept asking for two-year growth plans so everyone could understand what metrics needed to be met before closing schools—but it never happened. If constituents felt we didn’t have all the right information, then we didn’t. I don’t think people were just making things up.”

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said it was too late to require corrective action because the Phase II committee had already concluded its work.