Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 77 No. 12
INSIDE
This Week
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Daytona 500 winner gets hometown honor BY ETHAN GRENI
from Glendale. “And to bring this Harley J. Earl trophy to Glendale, Arizona, is really special. I never thought something like this could ever happen.” The win was McDowell’s first career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series. “He was not somebody who was expected to win it,” said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers. “He certainly had the op-
Glendale Star Staff Writer
BUSINESS .... 12 Portillo’s hiring for new restaurant
March 18, 2021
Glendale native and 14-year NASCAR veteran Michael McDowell was honored in front of the Glendale Civic Center on March 11 for his Feb. 14 Daytona 500 win. He was given the key to the city, as well as having the date, March 11, 2021, proclaimed Michael McDowell Day in Glendale. “What an incredible honor,” McDowell said. “I’m just humbled and thankful just to be able to celebrate this with our friends and our family, and to be here
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Michael McDowell poses with the Harley J. Earl Trophy as well as the proclamation making March 11, 2021, Michael McDowell Day. (Photo by Pablo Robles)
Declining enrollment leads to school closures BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Glendale Star Executive Editor
SPORTS ........ 14 Truex Jr. ends winless streak with Phoenix victory
OPINION..................... 10 BUSINESS.................. 12 SPORTS ...................... 14 FEATURES.................. 16 RELIGION ................... 18 YOUTH........................ 20 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 24
The Glendale Elementary School District voted to proceed with the proposed school closures, boundary changes and the repurposing of schools to address budget deficits due to declining enrollment. During the March 11 meeting, GESD’s assistant superintendent of business and auxiliary services, Mike Barragan, explained that the district was considering closing schools as far back as February 2019 — before the COVID-19 pandemic. “The information and the concerns were pre-pandemic. I just want to continue to reiterate that,” Barragan said. “The meetings dated back to Feb. 9. We looked at leasing and the potential selling of land and the pros and cons of that. “As we have stated over the last two
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weeks, the issues of enrollment have also been raised in the budget presentations and during the annual financial reports.” The auditor general’s office noted a “moderate decrease” of student enrollment in 2017; in 2018 a “large decrease”; in 2019 “a decrease”; and in 2020 a 16% decrease, Barragan recalled. GESD’s fiscal year 2021 budget was built on 10,500 students, Barragan said. The actual enrollment was 8,339 with a difference of 2,161. That’s a 21% drop with a $14.3 million deficit, he added. The phase one transitions for the school year 2021-22 are as follows: • Isaac E. Imes School: Students reassigned to Glenn F. Burton Elementary School, Glendale Landmark and Harold W. Smith Elementary School. • Melvin E. Sine School: Students
reassigned to Glenn F. Burton Elementary School and Horizon. Phase two transitions for the 2022-23 school year are: • Coyote Ridge School: Students reassigned to Discovery, and the Coyote Ridge facility will be repurposed into a system of care center offering health screenings, community support and professional development resources. • Desert Garden School: Students reassigned to Challenger or Mensendick, and those schools will be reconfigured to K-8 models. The Desert Garden building would be repurposed into a preschool facility. • Bicentennial North School: Students reassigned to Bicentennial South or Don Mensendick. Bicentennial South is
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