The Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board is asking for public input concerning the possible consolidation of local school campuses.

The Board created a Facilities Use Committee to tackle the matter last February, and the Committee met eight times before June 7, 2022. There have been continued discussions, the result of which is a recommendation to consolidate schools.

Per the Falcon Focus newsletter from last Friday, Dec. 2, the plan is to consolidate students in grades K-5 at the current Fountain Hills Middle School Facility and relocate grades 6-8 to the high school campus.

The large campus was built to maintain two independent schools sharing one plot of land. Fountain Hills High School and Fountain Hills Middle School shared a campus prior to 2002, when enrollment was on the rise in Fountain Hills.

There are many factors that went into the recommendation, including but not limited to current building conditions, enrollment trends, current operating costs, and estimated improvement costs.

Grades K-3 would have a gymnasium and football field at the current middle school campus, allowing more options for P.E. Grades 6-8 would be closer to high level teachers and courses, and there will be opportunities to better prepare for high school AP and Capstone classes.

The Board has not decided on consolidating, but there is a recommendation to do so. The Board has added the discussion on consolidating as an action item at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.