The Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) has announced that the Gila Bend Library will close after the Gila Bend Unified School District (GBUSD) decided to end their partnership. The library, which has served as a community hub for more than 30 years, will cease operations at the end of May.
“We would have loved to continue supporting the community for another 30 years but, unfortunately, the Gila Bend Unified School District (GBUSD) made a unilateral decision to end library service and told the Library District to vacate the building by the end of June,” said Chairman Thomas Galvin, District 2. “My understanding is they plan to repurpose the building, though I’m not sure how it could possibly be put to better use for the community.”
The Gila Bend Library operates on school district property owned by GBUSD, while Maricopa County provides staffing and programming. Earlier this year, GBUSD’s superintendent notified MCLD that it was terminating their Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), which allowed library services on school grounds. Attempts by MCLD to renegotiate were unsuccessful.
“This is a terrible result for students and families. The Gila Bend Library is a pillar of this community and has been for 34 years. Why would anyone want to take that resource away?” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who represents Gila Bend and District 5.
Across Maricopa County, similar agreements exist between cities or school districts and MCLD for operating libraries in municipal buildings. Typically, local entities handle building maintenance while MCLD manages materials and staff.
GBUSD cited rising costs related to maintaining and repairing the property—especially heating and cooling—as its reason for ending the agreement. However, Gallardo questioned this rationale: “It’s strange they claim maintenance costs as a reason for ending our partnership, yet they are also planning to repurpose the building for a different use, which will involve those same maintenance costs,” he said.
Maricopa County invested over $558,000 in renovations when moving into its current location five years ago. In just the past year, more than 43,000 people visited the library; it held 61 programs for adults and teens and provided workforce development support to 64 individuals.
“I’m proud of the incredible work we’ve done to serve the Gila Bend community over the past three decades, including curriculum support for students, free meals for residents in need, workforce development resources, and reliable internet service for all,” said Jeremy Reeder, director of Maricopa County Library District. “In big and small ways, we’ve been making life better for Gila Bend residents. It’s a shame it’s all coming to an end.”
The closure comes at a time when educational outcomes remain challenging in Maricopa County schools: recent data show that nearly two-thirds of students in grades 3 through 8 failed both mathematics (https://www.azed.gov/) and English sections (https://www.azed.gov/) of standardized tests during the 2022-23 school year; high schoolers posted similar results on ACT exams with only about one-third passing mathematics (https://www.azed.gov/) in 2023-24.
The last day of operation at Gila Bend Library will be May 22, 2025. MCLD plans to wind down services in coordination with staff before vacating. Residents can continue accessing digital resources through mcldaz.org after closure.
