‘We must take this terrible step’ | News

Before they voted Jan. 13, Amphitheater Public Schools Superintendent Todd Jaeger told board members he is “very sorry” they were being asked to close schools.

“I know what I’m asking of each of you personally,” he told Deanna Day, Michael Gemma, Vicki Cox Golder, Matt Kopec and Susan Zibrat. But, he added, “We must take this terrible step to ensure the solvency of this district for decades to come.”

Jaeger addressed each board member.

Cox Golder was on the board when Jaeger was hired as the district’s legal counsel in 1992, and later when he was named superintendent. Cox Golder, whose family has been a major landholder in northwest Tucson for decades, “secured school sites over the years,” he said. “Seeing our schools go away must be very hard for you,” Jaeger told Cox Golder.

Day is “Amphi through and through,” he continued. Day attended Wetmore Elementary School, which eventually was closed, and is an Amphi High School graduate who spent her career in education.

When Wetmore was closed, “I’m sure there was angst,” Day said. Since then,“eight schools have opened” in Amphi, she added.

Zibrat, the parent of two Amphi graduates, advocated for bond initiatives, budget overrides and other school funding long before she became a board member, Jaeger pointed out.

Kopec has served Amphi, and the city of Tucson, “in so many capacities,” Jaeger said. Gemma, formerly a principal at Canyon del Oro High School, was appointed to a board vacancy late last year.

“I appreciate the fact you came back to serve us,” Jaeger said. “You arrived just in time to do this sad task.”

In a prepared statement, Gemma said he had “read all of the comments and letters that have been sent to me and the district … even the ones produced with the help of AI.

“I fully understand where people are coming from as I have been through this experience in another setting,” he said. “I have heard and read anxiety and fear, and kindness and caring, and even logic.”

Gemma said Jaeger and the district’s executive leadership have gone through “great pains to come up with a solution that disrupts the smallest number of students,” and allows Amphi to move ahead.

“We are fortunate to live in one of the best districts in the state,” he said. “The future is what we all should be focusing on. Children are resilient. They adapt to change much better than adults.

“I have seen and heard the willingness of teachers at receiving schools to welcome new students and teachers and staff with open arms, and to do everything possible to enable them to be successful in their new schools,” Gemma said. “I encourage everyone to help us move forward in a positive and productive way.”

In separate email, Gemma acknowledged “it is never fun to be put in the position we have found ourselves in. However, I am optimistic that in the future we can expand the opportunities available to our students. It is difficult to provide full programs with less than 400 students enrolled in a school.”

“That meeting was truly my worst experience as board president because it was painful to vote to close schools,” Zibrat said in email two days after the meeting.

“While I acknowledge that change is difficult, it was the only decision we could make given the circumstances our school district is facing.”