Proposed Attendance Zone Changes

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.

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.

The Long Range Planning Committee meetings have concluded. The final recommendations will be presented to the Governing Board in a work session and as a preview item at the February 17 regular board meeting with final approval being requested at the March 10 board meeting. Any approved attendance zone changes will take effect in the 2026-27 school year.

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

The 2024 demographer report provides information on some of the developments considered in the projections at the time the report was completed.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There is no deadline for completing required applications/communications to remain at a school following a change to an attendance area. It is helpful to have that information by the end of the school year (May 2026) or sooner to help the district enact timely staffing and master schedules for the upcoming school year.

Siblings of students already attending a school on open enrollment are given enrollment preference for open enrollment acceptance. This is established in Governing Board Policy JFB Open Enrollment. This preference for open enrollment acceptance for siblings includes all school levels, provided capacity exists, including high school.

Priority status is not provided for the before and after-school program in these instances. Registration for all parents is conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. For the 2026-27 school year, Community Education registration opens on April 3rd at midnight at https://dvusd.arux.app/ 

Community members wishing to speak on the committee’s or the governing board’s decisions may do so during public forum times at the February 17 and/or March 10 governing board meetings, or via email to the committee.

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.