Plans for a new Southside school may wait on enrollment

What happened

At a Sept. 18, 2026 work session, the superintendent said the board should check enrollment before deciding to build a new Southside school. A presenter said elementary enrollment fell to 3,428 as of Sept. 11, from almost 3,600 last year.

Why it matters to families

A new school would change attendance zones for Cottonwood and Desert Willow Elementary. If enrollment stays flat or drops, the building may be delayed or changed.

The evidence

This comes from the machine-made transcript of the official Sept. 18, 2026 work session recording, so wording may contain errors. No minutes were posted. The speakers said about 18 months remain before construction could start.

The source