Tucson Unified recommends consolidating Dunham Elementary into Marshall Elementary

Families connected to Dunham and Marshall elementary schools on Tucson’s far east side may see their schools combined beginning in August 2027, if the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board approves the superintendent’s recommendation. Dunham Elementary, at 1301 East 29th Street, would be consolidated into Marshall Elementary, about a mile away on the same street, for the 2027 to 2028 school year. The proposal would affect students, families and employees at two preschool through fifth grade campuses, while also adding to a larger district effort that could involve as many as 10 of TUSD’s 88 schools.

Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo announced the Dunham and Marshall recommendation Tuesday, Oct. 20, one day after recommending that Hudlow Elementary be consolidated into Sewell Elementary. Those are the first four schools identified in what the district describes as a plan to close or reconfigure campuses over the next two years. TUSD has said it will announce another recommendation each day during the week, with Trujillo scheduled to discuss the proposals at a news conference on Oct. 27. The district has emphasized that each recommendation remains subject to Governing Board approval.

Dunham opened in 1974 and enrolled about 130 students during the last school year, according to state education data. It had fewer than 15 staff members and received an A grade for the 2024 to 2025 school year. Marshall, which opened in 1964, enrolled about 222 students and employed just under 30 staff members. It received a B grade for the same school year. Both campuses serve preschool through fifth grade, and their close proximity is a central geographic feature of the proposed consolidation. The district has not yet detailed how students, employees, classrooms or programs would be assigned if the merger moves forward.

The recommendation is part of TUSD’s attempt to address declining enrollment and reduced revenue. District officials said TUSD lost nearly $8 million in state funding last year as enrollment fell. They attributed the decline in part to lower birth rates in Pima County and to families using Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to homeschool children or enroll them in private schools. With fewer students spread across its campuses, the district says it must consider whether existing facilities and staffing levels remain financially sustainable. The consolidation review examined enrollment, finances, class sizes, transportation and access to programs.

The Tucson Education Association has participated in the district’s closure and consolidation committee. TEA President Jim Byrne said the union approached the process with an open mind while emphasizing the need to retain staff, limit disruption and make decisions through a respectful, transparent process focused on equity and justice. He also said consolidation should do more than preserve existing arrangements after a school closes. In his view, the district should use the changes to create stronger learning conditions, manageable workloads for educators and a staffing model that could compete more effectively with charter schools and attract families who want lower student to staff ratios.

The rollout has drawn criticism from at least one Governing Board member. Jennifer Eckstrom said families were understandably upset that schools were being named individually and said she had not received timely information about the first closure. She also said board members had not been shown a clear financial picture or a detailed explanation of how students would receive a better school experience at another campus. Eckstrom raised questions about the role of infrastructure and programming, as well as whether feedback from community meetings was being fully used. She said she believed the district was moving too quickly and had requested a pause and a separate meeting, but was denied.

TUSD held four community meetings during the five weeks before the recommendations, including three in person and one online. More than 300 staff members and community members attended, according to the district. Trujillo had said he would meet first with principals and then with faculty at schools selected for closure or consolidation. Families at affected campuses are expected to receive letters with more detailed information and invitations to meet with the superintendent at their schools. The district has also said all families, staff members and schools affected by the process should be notified by Oct. 27.

The Governing Board approved a review and decision schedule Tuesday night in a 4 to 1 vote, with Eckstrom opposed. The board’s Oct. 27 meeting will include an expanded public comment period and will be held at Palo Verde High School at 5:30 p.m. to accommodate an anticipated larger crowd. The Nov. 10 meeting is scheduled to include the final two realignment recommendations, followed by a legally required public hearing on Nov. 17. The board is expected to vote on the proposed closures and consolidations at its Dec. 8 meeting. Until that vote, Dunham’s proposed move into Marshall is not final, leaving families and employees with several opportunities to ask questions and provide public comment before the district determines whether the merger will take effect in August 2027.