Closed Scottsdale Unified School Could Become District’s First Arts Magnet

Arcadia Residents Excited Proposal for Scottsdale Unified’s First Arts Magnet School Could Be Headed to School Board Vote Next Week to Reopen Echo Canyon Campus 

Tuition-Free Magnet School Would Serve Fourth- Through Eighth-Graders With an Expanded Arts Curriculum at the Confluence of Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Declining enrollment and other structural challenges have public school districts across Arizona and the nation closing campuses, but a group of Scottsdale-area arts and business leaders have spent the past year pursuing a different outcome for the now-vacant Echo Canyon K-8 School.

And that vision could become a reality upon approval from the Scottsdale Unified School District Board, with a vote on the school likely for Tuesday, Nov. 17. The goal is to reopen the campus located at 4330 N. 62nd St. as the district’s first arts magnet school, a tuition-free option for students in grades four through eight that would provide instruction in music, theater, dance, photography, visual arts and other creative subjects alongside traditional academics.

According to neighborhood residents, it could be the district’s second big win in just two weeks, following passage of the voter-approved bond Nov. 3.

Scottsdale Art Week Director Amy Gause, Rose & Allyn Public Relations President Jason Rose (an SUSD graduate and Scottsdale Art Week Co-Founder) and other local arts advocates have been part of a substantial group of supporters that have already made multiple presentations about the proposal, investing considerable time in exploring how the former school could accommodate the reopened school.

If approved, the arts magnet school would become an entirely new school in the Scottsdale Unified School District. The school would give families another public education option while returning a prominent Scottsdale campus to use. It is not yet clear if the move, if approved by the board, would take effect for the 2027 – 2028 or the 2028 – 2029 school year.

For Rose, who lives across the street from the closed Echo Canyon campus, the proposal also presents an opportunity to build on something Scottsdale already does quite well.

“Scottsdale has become one of the country’s most interesting arts destinations, and we have an extraordinary collection of artists, galleries, museums and cultural organizations right here in our backyard,” Rose said. “What we don’t have is a public school in the area that brings all of those resources together. We have a beautiful, empty campus and people who are willing to put in the work to make something happen, and I think we’d be missing a tremendous opportunity if we don’t make it happen. I couldn’t be more proud or enthusiastic that the District is giving this wonderful idea every consideration and has done important due diligence and preparation over the past year. It is government at its best.”

Widely regarded by supporters of the proposal as one of Arizona’s most beautiful school properties, its grounds would provide an inviting setting for aspiring students to study, practice and find artistic inspiration. But the board made the difficult decision to close Echo Canyon in 2025 after several years of declining enrollment with a different curriculum.

The campus also sits near several of Scottsdale’s best-known arts destinations, including Cosanti, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West (a Smithsonian affiliate) and The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Organizers see opportunities to establish partnerships with these and other local institutions to increase student exposure to the arts.

Under a proposed curriculum, students would study traditional academic subjects while also receiving instruction in music, visual arts, dance, theater, writing, photography, design and also how to entrepreneur for and within the arts. Plans may also call for student performances, collaborations with area arts organizations and annual capstone projects that would give students opportunities to develop and present their work.

Gause, the director of Scottsdale Art Week who also lives close to the school, believes it is a vision and reality whose time has come.

“Scottsdale is home to an extraordinary community of artists and arts professionals, and I believe we have a wonderful opportunity to nurture the next generation of artists by connecting young people with these creative resources,” Gause said. “An arts magnet school could inspire students to discover their talents, develop their creative voices and explore pathways they may never have considered. Investing in arts education is an investment in Scottsdale’s future, ensuring that the next generation has the opportunity to learn from, contribute to and carry forward our community’s rich artistic legacy.”

The effort has already attracted support from prominent Valley leaders and community members, among them Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky, Paradise Valley Mayor Mark Stanton, former Scottsdale Arts CEO Frank Jacobson and Jessica Pacheco, the incoming chairperson for the 2027-2028 Arizona Board of Regents, who also lives near the Echo Canyon campus.

Supporters are also working to secure private financial support for the project to assist the District. Rose is personally committed to a substantial donation towards the marketing and start-up costs for the new school, with other support being sought as well.

As organizers continue working with Scottsdale Unified School District, they’re encouraging families who’ve been looking for an arts-focused public school to contact the district officials regarding enrollment and waiting lists, if the board decides to move forward Nov. 17.

Few advocates for Scottsdale Unified have been more enthusiastic about a district arts magnet than Rose Smith, an early supporter of the concept.

“I will be very proud of our district leadership if they reward the hard work that district personnel and community leaders have undertaken over the past year to turn this into a reality,” said Smith. “An arts-integrated magnet, infusing hands-on experiences into all subject areas, is exactly the kind of innovative learning that students and parents want to see in an excelling school district.”