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.

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.

Will This Affect Every DVUSD School?

Can New Schools Be Built Near the New Community to Ease Overcrowding?

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.

How Does DVUSD Determine School Capacity?

Reported capacity is based on the School Facilities Division (SFD) calculated student capacity.

It is important to note that this capacity includes multipurpose rooms, cafeterias, hallways, and gymnasiums and not just classrooms. Schools that are above 80% capacity are at risk of not having enough classrooms for all students. Other examples of inequities in schools with higher capacities include crowded cafeterias, more traffic at drop-off and pick up, and less access to shared spaces like the multi-purpose room.

What is the Timeline For This Process?

What Developments Are Already Approved and Included in the Recommendations for Attendance Boundary Changes?

If Our Zoned School Changes, Can We Tour the New Zoned School?

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, 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.

Can My Child Attend His/Her Current School if Our Zoned School Changes?

Yes. Students currently attending any campus at the time the boundary is adjusted may remain on that campus. It is not open enrollment, continuing status is guaranteed. Though enrollment is guaranteed, transportation is not provided by DVUSD and parents/guardians would be responsible to transport students to and from school. DVUSD transportation used for field trips, athletic events, etc. will be provided for students at the school as usual.

Will Transportation Be Provided to Students Who Choose To Stay At Their Current School?

Transportation is provided to students who reside within the assigned school boundary and within the radius for busing per Governing Board Policy. Transportation is not provided to students who attend a school outside of their designated campus, whether on open enrollment or grandfathered in during a boundary adjustment.

The district transportation system does not have the capacity to accommodate additional routes that would result from providing transportation to students outside of the routes approved through the current policy.

I Enrolled My Child for Kindergarten Next School Year, but My Home May Be Zoned for a Different School. What Should I Do?

If you have already enrolled your child in kindergarten for the next school year in his/her currently zoned school and the attendance boundary changes, we will contact you to determine if your would like to open enroll and transport your child to the school your residence was formerly zoned in or if you would like to transfer the enrollment to the school for which your residence is now zoned. You will not need to reregister at the other campus.

If you have yet to enroll your child in kindergarten for the next school year because you are waiting to see how the Long Range Planning process plays out, it is best to enroll your child in kindergarten at the campus in which boundaries you currently reside. If the boundary changes and your residence is moved into a different school boundary and your child will attend that campus, we will transfer the records for you. You will not need to reregister at the other campus.

Once attendance zone changes are adopted by the Governing Board, the enrollment approval process will move quickly so parents can adequately plan for the next school year and the district can properly staff all schools well in advance of the first day of school.

If Our Residence is Rezoned to a School That Does Not Have a Specialized Program My Child is Currently Enrolled In (Renaissance Gifted, Language Immersion, etc.), What Are My Options?

Students have the opportunity to remain at their current campus and remain in specialized programs when an attendance boundary is changed. Transportation is not provided for students attending a school on open enrollment. The district will work to determine available resources to bridge and continue learning for specialized programs but budgetary constraints can affect what can be offered.

What If My Student Has an IEP?

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.

Developmental Preschool students will follow the same process as all other children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Services and placement decisions will continue to be determined through the IEP process to ensure each child receives the supports outlined in their plan.

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.

If School Boundaries are Adjusted, Do I Have to Open Enroll to Attend the New School Within Our Boundary?

It is not required for parents/guardians to complete new enrollment packets for students who attend a school based on a boundary adjustment. Enrollment will be transferred from the current school to the new school but there will be a process during the transition phase to determine which campus you select for your student(s).

If your child is attending the school he/she is zoned for, DVUSD transportation to/from home and school will be provided.

If My Student is Zoned For a Different School, is There a Deadline to Inform the District Which School He/She Will Attend?

Can Siblings of Students “Grandfathered” or Guaranteed Open Enrollment Status After These Changes Take Effect Also Be Guaranteed Open Enrollment?

April 28, 2026
- Updated next steps to include news that four of the five high school regions will look to fill vacated parent representative positions, excluding the Barry Goldwater HS region as that committee member has chosen to stay.
- Added upcoming meeting note for the May 21, 2026, meeting.
April 23, 2026
- Added next steps for the committee in filling vacancies following closure of phase one.
April 20, 2026
- Added revised version of demographer's report (for 2025-26 school year). This report is also available on the Budget 411 page.

March 2026

February 2026

February 26, 2026
- Added meeting minutes and presentation for the February 25 meeting.
February 20, 2026
- Added additional committee meeting for February 25.
- Added specific long range planning pages to the 12 potentially affected schools.
February 5, 2026
- Added committee recommendation maps, committee meeting minutes, and committee meeting slideshow from February 4.
February 4, 2026
- Added note that committee recommendations will be posted soon.
- Updated details of upcoming governing board work session and regular board meetings.
- Prominently featured a link to Long Range Planning committee web page on the home page of the district website and 12 affected schools.
February 3, 2026
- Added O'Connor and Goldwater region presentations from January 22 and January 28, respectively.
- Updated committee form resource, reflecting the members of the committee.
- Updated demographer recommended attendance zone adjustments, including revised BGHS adjustments that include the southern portion of Sonoran Foothills School adjusted to Norterra Canyon School.
  - View the previously shared suggested adjustments here.

January 2026

January 30, 2026
- Added Conversations with Curt information, and updated timeline map.
January 28, 2026
- Updated FAQ to include new questions asked by community members at recent community forums.
January 22, 2026
- Posted presentation from the January 20 Boulder Creek region community forum.
- Added February 17 and March 10 Governing Board meetings to the upcoming meetings section.
- Reconfigured updated information section into monthly "accordion" folders for a shorter list of events and improved user experience.
January 19, 2026
- Email and text message from the district promoting the Long Range Planning community forums delivered to parents with students attending the 12 potentially affected schools (and three high schools hosting the events).
  - Email was successfully delivered to 18,286 recipients of a total of 19,595 intended recipients. Of the 1,309 messages not received, 1,187 were due to a parent or guardian with no email address, an inactive email account, or an account blocking district messages.
  - Text message directing parents to email message was successfully delivered to 13,542 recipients of a total of 19,595 intended recipients. Of the 6,053 text messages not received, 5,409 were to parents or guardians with no SMS number on their account, a number blocking district texts, or a deactivated/invalid phone number on file.
January 15, 2026
- Added meeting minutes and presentation from January 14 meeting.
- Added meeting minutes and meeting recording from January 15 meeting.
January 13, 2026
- Updated committee meeting schedule to include the potential January 15 Zoom meeting. This meeting will be held only if the committee cannot complete its duties within the allotted time on January 14. If the January 15 meeting is held, a full recording of the meeting will be made available to observers on this webpage as soon as possible after the meeting's conclusion.
- Added FAQ exchange regarding students with IEPs and potential school zoning adjustments.
January 12, 2026
- Long Range Planning December video with Dr. Finch and The 'Supe Scoop podcast covering Long Range Planning are included in the January monthly parent update. Update has been read by more than 32,800 parents within the first week since distribution.
January 6, 2026
- Added public forum start time note. All public forums will start at 6 p.m.

December 2025

December 18, 2025
- Committee website updated following December 17 meeting. Upcoming meeting schedule was updated, and dates of upcoming public forums were added (times TBD). Committee guiding principles, meeting presentation, and meeting minutes were added.
December 15, 2025
- Through email, text message, and social media, community members were reminded to take the second survey focusing on potential attendance zone changes and budget priorities for the 2026-27 school year. Emails were received by 36,444 community members, and text messages were received by 27,579 community members.
December 10, 2025
- Added note to committee survey that high school boundaries will not be affected by this committee in 2026. While high school boundaries and open enrollment may be discussed at another time in the future, the attendance zone discussion is currently focused on K-6, 7/8, and K-8 schools.
December 8, 2025
- DVUSD website updated with new timeline graphic, committee FAQ, podcast and superintendent informational video, meeting locations and times, and second survey.
- The 'Supe Scoop podcast episode focusing on early stages of long range planning posted on DVUSD website and social media platforms.
- Superintendent Dr. Finch's winter 2025 message on the early stages of the Long Range Planning committee posted to district YouTube channel and shared on district social media platforms.
- Website shared on a large scale through district monthly parent message with custom url DVUSD.org/boundaries.
December 1, 2025
- A reminder to stakeholders to take the two-question survey is posted on the DVUSD website, DVUSD social media, and directly to parent email accounts. Approximately 36,451 parents received the second email.

November 2025

November 21, 2025
- Two-question survey asking stakeholders which school(s) their children attend and any general thoughts about school boundary adjustments is shared via DVUSD website, DVUSD social media, and directly to parent email accounts. Approximately 36,503 parents received the email.
November 19, 2025
- Additional December, January, and February committee meetings added to the website.
- Committee hosts "reintroduction" meeting at Innovation Center with new committee chair Heather Mock leading, following the June 2025 retirement of deputy superintendent (and committee chair) Jim Migliorino.

May 2025

May 6, 2025
- Committee hosts first meeting at Governing Board East room, with committee chair Jim Migliorino leading.
- Webpage with direct url of DVUSD.org/boundaries is created to host resources specific to this committee.
May 5, 2025
- The scheduled May 6 meeting is shared in the district May 2025 monthly parent update, viewed by more than 42,000 readers.

April 2025

If approved, students in the red zone west of 51st Avenue would be zoned for Inspiration Mountain School grades K-8, and Sandra Day O'Connor High School grades 9-12.
Students in the green zone east of 51st Avenue would be zoned for Stetson Hills School grades K-8, and Sandra Day O'Connor High School grades 9-12.
The southern boundary of Canyon Springs STEM Academy would be brought down to the northern edge of the 303 highway. Canyon Springs students would still be zoned for Boulder Creek High School for grades 9-12.

Click here to see a full screen version of this map.

O'Connor Region: Stetson Hills School + Inspiration Mountain School + Las Brisas Elementary

Suggested Changes NOT Recommended By The Committee

Boulder Creek Region: Canyon Springs STEM Academy + Anthem School (North of Anthem Way)
Goldwater Region: Sonoran Foothills School + Norterra Canyon School

Boulder Creek Region: Canyon Springs STEM Academy + Anthem School (North of Anthem Way)

Graphic of suggested attendance zone changes not recommended by the committee

This portion of the current Canyon Springs STEM Academy attendance zone north of Anthem Way and east of I-17 was considered for inclusion in the proposed Canyon Springs/Anthem attendance zone change.
- The committee determined to leave this portion zoned for Canyon Springs STEM Academy for the 2026-27 school year, although the zoning may change in the future based on future Long Range Planning recommendations.

Click here to see a full screen version of this map.

Goldwater Region: Sonoran Foothills School + Norterra Canyon School

Graphic of adjustments not recommended by the committee

Although there is increased residential construction in the shaded region south of Sonoran Desert Drive, this proposed change would have a negative impact on both schools' enrollment in the short term and long term if the pending Sonoran Foothills/Sunset Ridge attendance zone change is approved.
In addition to attendance concerns, walkability and flooding concerns along North Valley Parkway were raised by residents.

Click here to see a full screen version of this map.