Scottsdale’s Navajo Elementary School will be repaired after a fire closed it shortly after the beginning of the school year. The district’s governing board approved the repair and separate rebuild of Cherokee Elementary School after a five-plus hour meeting.

Supporters of Navajo Elementary School in red shirts with the district’s buffalo mascot filled the audience.

District staff laid out a variety of options for Navajo Elementary.

The most expensive, constructing a new school, could cost up to $20 million dollars. Refurbishment could range from $5 million to $10 million dollars.

“Those are guesses on our part. They’re educated ones, but they are guesses,” said Interim Chief Financial Officer Jeff Gadd. He said the dollar figures weren’t exact because the insurance company has yet to provide an estimate.  

The governing board ultimately voted for the cheapest option— making repairs with money from the insurance company. The district would also pay a $10,000 deductible.

The board also said it would consider mechanical and security upgrades to Navajo at an undetermined cost.

About 300 students attend Navajo and the school’s enrollment has declined in recent years.

Since the fire, students attend classes at a campus on Oak Street and will do so through the rest of the school year. The school's pre-school programs were moved to Hohokam and Yavapai elementary schools.