As talks to find a compromise in the lease agreement between ASU Preparatory Academy in Phoenix and the Phoenix Elementary School District #1, parents and faculty of ASU Prep in Phoenix remain hopeful for its future.
The PESD Governing School Board voted to not renew the lease for ASU Prep located in Downtown Phoenix, with a 2-0 vote — one choosing to abstain and another not present.
Amy McGrath, vice president of Educational Outreach at ASU and Managing Director of ASU Prep, said they intend to stay at the location.
"The lease does not expire for another 16 months," McGrath said. "Our families are encouraged and fine to renew their enrollment for next year as we continue to work through this with the district."
This is not the first time the school has been in this situation with PESD. In 2018, ASU Prep Phoenix got a notice of a significant increase in their rent. Eventually, they did find common ground, McGrath said.
READ MORE: ASU Preparatory's rent increase may negatively impact students
"We worked it out, and our families and learning continuity was not interrupted," McGrath said.
Representative Matt Gress of Legislative District 4 and chairman of the House Education Committee is the front-runner in the effort to renew the lease agreement, known as Fillmore Future. He introduced House Bill 2640, which would require the district, as a building owner, to notify the community of a proposal to either renew or terminate the lease with a sufficient amount of time to respond.
"The lack of a deliberate and thoughtful process in this instance is disappointing, and I urge the Board to reconsider its intent to terminate the lease," Gress said in a statement to the superintendent and governing board of PESD.
Mark Vitucci, the father of a fifth-grade student attending ASU Prep Phoenix and the PTO president of the Phoenix location, disagrees with the decision made by PESD.
"If we were going to move, now would be the time to do it ... we're going to keep her in, so even if the school moves, hopefully, it's not too far away," Vitucci said.
When searching for schools for his daughter to start kindergarten, he found the public schools around the area in the PESD underwhelming.
"If we wanted to be in your district, we'd be in your district. We'd be in your schools," Vitucci said.
Yessica Flores-Cardiel, an admissions adviser at the ASU Prep School Phoenix location, said on a campus tour that if the school cannot find a compromise with PESD, they would look into buying elsewhere.
The school has been in that location for about 15 years, and many find it convenient to be located blocks away from the University's Downtown campus.
"I do feel that if ASU is willing to spend the money on the lease, or in purchasing the land, they'll come to an agreement," Vitucci said.
McGrath said they are getting closer to having a second offer from ASU.
"It's a high-quality, college-going atmosphere," McGrath said. "That's one of the reasons that we're very adamant that we're going to continue to stay and we can work out a lease negotiation with Phoenix Elementary School District."
The ASU Prep academies offer students the opportunity to complete college credits for free through the University to accelerate their progress toward getting a degree.
"All your University classes are going to be online with a real professor at ASU, but you will also have a teacher here that is going to help you with additional help," Flores-Cardiel said during a campus tour.
McGrath said that 90% of their students, upon graduating, get admitted to a two-year or four-year university with the majority graduating with ASU credits already complete.
Vitucci said the opportunities provided to help students get on a faster track through college were not the main reasons for choosing ASU Prep, but "it was definitely an over-the-top sort of factor."
"Assuming that she decides to go to college, she has an in," Vitucci said. "There's no struggle."
McGrath said a reason for the non-renewal is the University has paid a below-market price for its lease at the ASU Prep Phoenix location, and PESD believes they can use it for their district's benefit.
McGrath also said the agreement with PESD was to have an under-market lease, where they would subsidize the remainder of funds for in-kind services and tuition discounts for the staff and faculty of the greater district.
"The actual terms of what we pay for the lease agreement are not completely comprehensive of all that we bring to the table," McGrath said.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego made a statement on the matter and sent it to the school board.
"I urge you to keep in mind the excellent outcomes ASU has helped children in our community achieve and heed the calls of scores of parents whose families have been enriched because their children were able to attend ASU Prep," Gallego said in the statement.
McGrath said the school also serves students from Garfield Elementary School and the surrounding neighborhoods, along with the families of ASU faculty.
"PESD is an elementary district, and then they leave and go to various others," McGrath said. "This is a really special community of 1,200 students that stay with us and it would be incredibly disruptive if the lease was impacted and we had to move the students."
The Phoenix Elementary School District #1 Governing Board President Jessica Bueno declined to comment and the superintendent and other governing board members also did not respond to a request.
Edited by George Headley, Abigail Beck and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at elbradfo@asu.edu and follow @emmalbradford__ on X.
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Emma is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication and political science, with a minor in business. This is her second semester with The State Press.
