TUSD proposes center for autism, behavioral and academic support

The district presented its closure proposals for the 2028-29 school year during Tuesday’s governing board meeting to a crowd of less than a hundred. Most of the presentations focused on programs.

Cavett Elementary, which is proposed to consolidate into Utterback Middle School, could become Cavett Alternative Education Center. The proposed center would fulfill two needs, Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said: it would establish a hub for intensive services, support and instruction for students at varying levels of autism; and it would allow for short-term, supportive placement for elementary and middle school students struggling academically, emotionally and behaviorally.

“TUSD has seen a dramatic increase in students with disabilities coming into the district, especially with higher levels of autism, that could benefit from a little bit more of an orientation or more intensive support before transitioning into a general education environment,” Trujillo told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

As for the “alternative placement program,” students who cause “very disruptive behavior at their home school” would be given normal daily instruction with small class sizes and better access to counselors, social workers, psychologists and paraprofessionals.

“We do have a lot of students who are on their way to long-term suspension, but this would be a placement where we capture them before they end up suspended,” Yolanda Nuñez, the district’s alternative education program director, told the governing board Tuesday evening.

“We do have younger kids who are aggressive and sometimes become violent, and there is no placement for them currently … this placement would be really a plan for getting them to self-regulate, teaching them to self-regulate, still continuing their academics, and then providing a soft handoff back to their home school,” she said.

A sample layout shows the alternative placement program in the north wing of Cavett, the exceptional education program in the south and west wings and a few small areas, including the library, kitchen and multi-purpose room, as shared spaces.

The concept would not cost a significant amount as the school is already built for elementary-aged children, Trujillo said.

He said the largest expense will be the number of special education staff required. Because that depends on student placements, the district won’t know the exact number until IEP decisions are finalized.

Sabino and Santa Rita program ideas

The district also presented a vision for new sixth through eighth grade programs at Sabino and Santa Rita high schools if Magee and Secrist middle schools were also to close in the 2028-29 school year.

The pitch is an investment in early career and technical education programs.

“This could be really cool,” said Chuck McCollum, the district’s career and technical education program manager.

McCollum laid out a plan for “secondary academy,” or sixth through eighth grade, students to gain deeper insights into the workforce at an earlier age. In sixth grade, students in the program would start researching various career paths; seventh graders would get tours and more hands-on, in-person experiences with career options; and eighth graders would get an early introduction to a path they’re interested in pursuing come freshman year.

“It's very much practical learning,” McCollum said. “Really project based, okay, kids doing things with their hands.”

The investment needed is an estimated $525,000 for the 600 students who would be sent to Santa Rita and Sabino.

Board members excited, but cautious

Board member Sadie Shaw said she was excited by the idea of introducing CTE courses to sixth through eighth grade students, stating she’d “love to see this at every one of our middle schools.”

“This could be really huge for all our students, and will, I'm sure, increase dramatically our participation in CTE at the high school level,” Shaw said.

Board member Jennifer Eckstrom said she was happy to see “Santa Rita is getting the love that they deserve.”

“I just wish the district was better at promoting what Santa Rita has to offer to these students,” she said.

Eckstrom said she did, however, still want to hear any negative feedback or concerns from families before moving forward into December’s vote.

Shaw requested cost estimates for upgrades and renovations at Utterback, which district officials did not immediately have information on. Utterback, currently a middle school, would need new facilities, such as Kindergarten bathrooms, to make the school better suited for young students.

Board member Val Romero said as much as programs matter in the consolidation process, he’d like to see those renovations prioritized as well.

“At Utterback, they've got two or three portables that are condemned right outside the building. You go to their basketball courts, they're uneven. They're cracked,” he said. “All these things sound great. But what are we doing on the outside so we can improve this? Because a learning experience for our kids is more than just everything that happens in there.”

Eckstrom agreed, saying she’d like to see cost estimates for renovations and upgrades before making a decision.

“I don't understand why cost estimates aren't provided to these presentations because you know the governing board is going to ask these questions,” she said. “I would like to know what kind of curb appeal we're going to be providing to all of these schools, because they are going to need some love and care if we expect parents to move their children from the school that they're at to another school.”