Liberty Elementary School District (LESD) is preparing to open its eighth campus, Loretta Zumbro Elementary School, in August 2025, a significant step to address overcrowding in one of the fastest-growing regions of the Phoenix metro area. However, the expansion comes at a time when district leadership is under fire, with teachers resigning, community frustrations mounting, and policies drawing scrutiny.
The new school, located at the northwest corner of Lower Buckeye Road and South 183rd Avenue, will serve 850 K-8 students once fully operational. A phased grade roll-in will begin with PreK-6 students in the 2025-26 school year, with seventh grade added in 2026 and eighth grade in 2027.
The campus is named for Loretta Zumbro, a dedicated educator with nearly four decades of service in the Liberty district. Zumbro, who began teaching in 1986, expressed her gratitude during the groundbreaking ceremony.
“This is probably the biggest honor that I could even imagine having,” Zumbro said during the school’s groundbreaking ceremony. “As a teacher, you never think that something like this would happen, because that’s not what we’re here for. We’re here for the kids.”
Unlike other schools in the district that feature specialized programs in agriculture, performing arts, International Baccalaureate, and dual-language immersion to provide diverse learning opportunities for students, Zumbro Elementary does not yet have a features program set up yet.
"Each school has their own signature program," said Derek Diesner, Liberty Elementary communications director.
Tensions emerge at board meetings
Despite the excitement surrounding the new school, the district remains mired in controversy. At a recent Liberty Elementary School District board meeting, tensions between leadership, teachers, and parents boiled over. The meeting was marked by yelling, police intervention, and public criticism of the board and administration.
Seven teachers resigned that evening, citing hostile working conditions and a lack of support from district leadership.
“I resigned because our board and superintendent have been spending a majority of their time attempting to bully teachers into submission,” Wendi Merkle, a former Westar Elementary teacher, said during public comment.
Sheila DeBattista, an educator with 30 years of experience, echoed Merkle’s concerns. “Due to the unsafe working conditions and the learning environment for students,” she said when resigning.
Parents also expressed anger during public comments, calling on board members, including then-Vice President Bryan Parks, to resign. Critics accused the board of prioritizing policies that harm teacher-student relationships and neglect student outcomes.
One policy in question, according to Merkle, prevents teachers and counselors from intervening in student disputes unless parents give explicit permission. “While I don't disagree that parents should know what's happening, I don't think that a child should be negated from that opportunity to have a teacher help them through a friendship issue,” Merkle said.
Superintendent's bonus sparks backlash
The district has also faced backlash over its decision to award Superintendent Monroe a performance-based bonus of up to 20%, or roughly $37,000, in addition to his base salary of $185,000, as reported by Arizona’s Family.
“We are losing teachers left and right. And it is really sad and unfair because it is the kids who are suffering,” said Kelly D’Anthony, a former Liberty district teacher, voicing frustration about the allocation of funds.
Amid these tensions, the district announced new attendance boundaries for Loretta Zumbro Elementary School. After reviewing six options and holding public meetings, the Governing Board approved Option 6, shifting the Vista De Montana community from Blue Horizons Elementary to the new campus.
“We developed and evaluated six different options for assigning attendance boundaries,” said Dr. Edward Sloat, LESD director of research, in a press release. “The process involved detailed analysis of short- and long-term impacts on campus enrollment levels, program capacities, and affected neighborhoods.”
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Mohorne said the district is now turning its focus to enrollment planning, staffing, and program development at Loretta Zumbro Elementary. “Now that the boundaries have been approved, we can begin the process of looking at planning for student enrollment, hiring staff, and student programming,” she said.
The school’s opening marks a critical step for LESD, but lingering tensions over leadership, policies, and teacher morale continue to raise questions about the district’s future.
For updates on Loretta Zumbro Elementary, including open enrollment dates and construction progress, visit www.liberty25.org.
