One of many very important decisions will have to be made soon with Maricopa Unified School District that will have lasting repercussions on not just our students, but on our community as a whole.
On March 27, the decision of the possible closing of one our middle schools may be made at the school board meeting.
As a very proud Maricopa Wells Middle School mom I do not want to see this school close. The central location promotes a community school that can partner with the neighboring schools in working towards a better district.
This is a concrete community asset that should not be overlooked for our students. This gives the students a place and a connection to their community – a partnership that this district is working on to improve.
There is great opportunity to encourage growth in the mentor and volunteer program we have currently with Maricopa High School and can grow to Maricopa Elementary. We already partner with the high school to offer early high school credits and look to expand that program, as well.
The close proximity of the high school to the middle school provides our students who are in the many clubs and academic programs at MWMS the ability to be within walking distance of the high school to attend field trips and meet with high school mentors.
Our students who are in sports enjoy the benefit of being able to walk from the middle school to the high school to host sporting events at the MHS facilities and attend camps hosted by the high school athletes.
Many MHS students walk over to MWMS to mentor in academics and clubs and to assist in coaching and training in MWMS athletic programs. With the closure of MWMS these opportunities will cease to exist.
We not only host students from Maricopa but from Ak-Chin, Hidden Valley and Stanfield, as well. MWMS has an existing working partnership that benefits from the current location of the school. This partnership will grow stronger as we welcome the new students as we become the new junior high that MUSD wants to create by combining the schools.
Maricopa Wells also houses two very important specialized programs that should not be moved: the special-education unit and the expanding 20+1 program. These programs require special rooms and equipment needed to continue successfully serving the needs of these students and helping them to excel in middle school as they prepare for high school.
It is crucial that these programs continue moving forward and not get sidetracked with the disruptions that would be caused by relocating them.
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