PHOENIX — A specialized school designed to acclimate immigrant children to the American education system is closing its doors as enrollment plummets, leaving behind a model for supporting vulnerable students.
In 2018, 11-year-old Luis Mujica and his mother left the lush beaches of Venezuela and traveled northward to Phoenix in search of opportunity.
“When we arrived, everything felt overwhelming,” said Mujica as he looked up from the podium during the Alhambra Elementary School District governing board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 22. “Most of the time, I felt invisible, like I had a voice, but no way to use it.”…