2025-26 Long Range Planning Committee

Graphic courtesy of AZCentral

With the TSMC chip plant’s first three fabs scheduled to go fully online by 2030, and with 15,000 new homes planned to be built along the 303 corridor near the plant beginning in 2031, the time to ease overcrowding at schools is now before the planned communities are fully built out. The Long Range Planning Committee's mission is to find the best solutions that positively impact the district by 2035 with less focus on today. Recommended boundary changes approved by the governing board will take effect at the start of the 2026-27 school year.

DVUSD also faces a challenge of slowly decreasing enrollment within our district boundaries until 2031, which means several schools may be under capacity by 2035, depending on demographic shifts. The committee’s mission is to not close schools like other nearby districts have done. The committee may consider repurposing a school campus to address low enrollment, with such recommendations up to the governing board to approve after the approved boundary changes are made. Any school repurposing projects approved by the governing board will take effect at the start of the 2027-28 school year.

No. High school boundaries are not changing, and K-6, K-8, or middle schools not facing overpopulation or drastic underpopulation over the next 10 years will likely remain unaffected. Most DVUSD schools will have the same boundaries in 2026-27 as they do now.

Yes, but not right away, and that alone won’t help ease overcrowding where it is forecast to hit the hardest. The property that will be developed near the chip plant is planned to have 15,000 homes– 5,000 more than the entire Anthem community built in 1999. DVUSD has four K-8 schools and a high school in Anthem, and building new schools near the chip plant wouldn’t singlehandedly resolve the future issues facing that community. The decision to potentially build new schools closer to the chip plant will be addressed later, in the next 3 to 5 years.

School construction takes several years to plan and build, and is also dependent on numerous factors such as land acquisition, zoning approval, and construction costs that are often paid with funds raised through the sale of government bonds. The DVUSD bond measure failed in November 2024, and there is no guarantee one will pass in a future election, so we must be wise with the buildings the taxpayers have entrusted us funding in the past, and wisely prepare for the future.

The Long Range Planning Committee will meet on January 14, 2026, possibly January 15, 2026, and February 4, 2026, to review the data and challenges and present recommendations to the DVUSD governing board early next year. The governing board will likely take up recommendations for a vote in February or March of 2026, with boundary changes going into effect at the start of the 2026-27 school year. Families affected by any approved changes will be notified shortly after the approval, and surveys will be administered throughout the process to determine which school their children will attend to help the district plan for enrollment, staffing, and transportation.

Any approved school repurposing recommendations will take effect in the 2027-28 school year.

Yes, and we encourage families affected by this process to visit the new school and learn about the many opportunities students will have there before making a decision on which school to attend once the decisions have been made. Schools that will take on new students will have events for incoming families in the spring of 2026, and all DVUSD schools are always open for tours. Consult the school’s website or call the school’s front office for more information on when tours will be held in the future.

Yes. Your child will be able to attend his/her current school if he/she wishes to through the final grade level at the school. The child’s parents/guardians will not need to open enroll the child every year while at said school. If your child is remaining at his/her current school instead of attending the new zoned school, transportation to the current school will not be provided by DVUSD. This only applies to travel to/from home and school. DVUSD transportation used for field trips, athletic events, etc. will be provided for students at the school as usual.

DVUSD will continue to provide all special education services and extra supports for students who are grandfathered into their current school, even if they no longer live in that school's boundary after the Governing Board approves any recommended zone changes.

No matter which campus a student attends, the district is legally required by state and federal law to provide a free and appropriate education in the most appropriate setting for students as possible. To ensure this happens, the district is committed to advocating for the funding and staff needed to give every student the resources they need to succeed.

That has not yet been determined, but will have to be considered depending on the committee recommendations approved by the governing board. This topic would be pending governing board approval.

You will not need to open enroll your student, and DVUSD transportation to/from home and school will be provided. It will be standard operating procedure for any student attending the school he/she is zoned for in any given school year.

Community members are welcome to attend future meetings, but there is no public forum on committee decisions or discussions. Observing community members also cannot participate in committee activities or discussions, they can only observe the proceedings.

Community members wishing to speak on the committee’s or the governing board’s decisions may do so during public forum times at governing board meetings, via email to the committee, or at any one of the three community information sessions in January 2026.

Frequently visit DVUSD.org/boundaries for the latest factual information. You can also follow DVUSD on Facebook, Instagram, and X @DVUSD for more information. We realize this is an important issue for DVUSD families and community members. Make sure you are getting official information from official district sources such as our website and social media platforms.