We, the undersigned parents, students, teachers, business owners, and community members, strongly oppose the proposed closure of Kyrene de la Mirada along with others in our district.

Kyrene de la Mirada was included in a recent proposal to be closed down despite its A+ designation, rigorous Leader In Me Lighthouse certification, diverse school population - including large and successful special and gifted education programs, and an average teacher tenure of over 10 years.

Ranked as the second-highest Kyrene district school east of the I-10 and 6th overall districtwide by US News - Top Arizona Elementary Schools, Kyrene de la Mirada boasts more than 60% of families who specifically chose Mirada - with roughly 40% of students in the boundary for a different Kyrene district school and another 19% outside of the district. 


Kyrene de la Mirada is a top-performing school that keeps the Kyrene district competitive in an increasingly competitive school environment in the southeast valley.  
The unique Leader in Me Lighthouse certification fosters student leadership as early as Kindergarten and has been shown to have outcomes like 92% or greater efficacy, 45% higher attendance, 42% fewer behavioral incidents. 
The loss of Kyrene de la Mirada would also be devastating for the local community due to our deep ties and local engagement.

Additionally, we have built strong community partners through our matching grant from the Intel plant across the street and sponsorships from the Chandler Scheels. 


In the current board proposal, Kyrene de la Mirada is listed for closure, however the methodology used in selecting school closures was incomplete.

While the long-range planning committee has done fantastic and hard work to help make difficult but necessary decisions, the plans that were presented to them were put together purely from traditional district boundary lines. 


As noted in the stats above, families no longer choose schools with this rigid methodology but take into account all of the additional factors like school performance, programs, and staff. Not to mention that these factors also play a massive role in positive outcomes for students’ futures. 


We ask the Kyrene school district board to reject the current proposal or at least modify it to no longer include Kyrene de la Mirada. Choosing this school is missing important details that align with the Kyrene district’s values and are critical components for making this decision.

Please visit www.miradastrong.com for more information.