The Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) is one of the top unified public school districts in the state, that isn’t news. DVUSD also received Forbes’ Best Midsize Employer in Arizona and the nation award, back-to-back; that’s old news too. When we win it again for the third year in a row, we’ll let you know. The new news? Every year, DVUSD is required by law to share with our community the results of our bond expenditures. This is called a “Special Report To the Community” and it should hit your mailbox soon as required by law. But, there is some “new news” that is contained in that document, so take time to read it. The publication has won many awards for its layout, information, and readability. If you want to know the latest, check out the Special Report when it hits your mailbox. There is some new news in there this time.

The most important new news in the Special Report is the arrival of a 2023 bond to continue to respond to the future growth of TSMC, the chip manufacturing plant in the center of our school district. One of the important variables for TSMC choosing this area to develop three years ago was DVUSD’s excellence. The $40 billion multiple-factory project will help develop the west side of I-17 now that the utilities will be pulled across the freeway to the new area. As you know, DVUSD extends all of the way out to Lake Pleasant and it’s pretty obvious that the immediate expansion will be in that direction. We are also seeing explosive growth north as I-17 is being widened past New River up into the Black Canyon area, the top of our school district. Because of the rise of our property values and DVUSD’s aggressive payments of previous bonds, the 2023 bond proposal in November of this year will not be an increase in taxes for our DVUSD community. This would also be the same point about the override that has been in place for decades – not a tax increase. To learn more, go to dvusd.org/election.

The Special Report will show the past fiscal responsibility with those bond dollars as we built two new K-8 schools, Union Park and Inspiration Mountain, remodeled a learning space for Aspire, our K-12 hybrid Online Academy (which is now #1 in the state for achievement), improved safety, repairs, and technology features for all 42 schools. The last bond also supported the fine arts with new equipment and uniforms and renovation and updates to all media centers.

The strength of having good public schools in Arizona and America is to protect property values, train the next workforce, and prevent the rise in crime by creating good citizens who want to contribute to the betterment of society. The data shows that the lifespan of a charter school is four years, but the Deer Valley Unified School District will be an intricate part of the community forever. DVUSD will be 90 years old in 2024 and we would love to reach 180 someday!

Dr. Finch is the Superintendent of DVUSD and can be reached at superintendent@dvusd.org

• Read Dr. Finch's 2023 State of the District
• Learn more about Dr. Finch