At the end of the school year, Deer Valley Unified School District will no longer offer its online elementary education program in grades K-5. Citing low enrollment in a letter to parents and the community, Aspire Online Academy Principal Juliet Amara said the difficult decision came after careful consideration by the district following the failure…
Author: Karen Goveia
Low Enrollment Prompts Cuts
Mandarin Program at Gavilan Peak
on Verge of Phase Out
For more than 15 years, Deer Valley Unified School District has been known for its successful Mandarin Chinese Immersion programs offered at two specialty schools, but now the future of one of the programs appears dim. Dual-language immersion programs where students receive equal daily instruction in half English and half Mandarin from kindergarten through eighth…
DVUSD Prepares to Cut$11 Million From Budget
Since DVUSD lost its Maintenance and Operations Override measure that it had in place for the last 30 years, the district is faced with making difficult decisions to reduce its budget by $11 million a year for the next three years for a total of $33 million. DVUSD’s Governing Board is hosting a work session…
Retail & Restaurants Proposed in
Desert Hills/New River
A new commercial retail plaza is proposed on nearly 18 acres at the southwest corner of east Carefree Highway and North 12th Street in unincorporated Maricopa County. Preliminary plans have been submitted to the county, but the project requires a rezoning from RU-43 (rural, one dwelling per acre) to C-2 (commercial intermediate district) in order to…
First Look at Vestar’s Massive Planned Development & Roadways
Neighborhood Meeting Planned to Solicit Feedback In order to see significant road connections completed in the area, such as the highly anticipated connection of North Valley Parkway to Carefree Highway to alleviate traffic along 27th Drive—it’s going to require a $40-million bridge and a large-scale developer to fund a project of that magnitude, as the…
How You Can Help Shape the Future of Your Community
With all of the growth happening along the I-17 corridor since the arrival of the TSMC chip plant, and still so much available state trust land in the far North Phoenix region, there are several avenues for community residents to get involved and help shape the future of the hottest growing area within the city. …
New and Like New Prom Attire Available to All DVUSD Students; Plus How You Can Donate
Prom season is just around the corner, which means students enrolled in any of Deer Valley Unified School District’s five high schools can make an appointment to shop Ann E’s Closet at Barry Goldwater High School to find the perfect formal wear for the big event at no cost. What started out as a mission…
Homeowners Staying Put, Updating Their Homes: What’s Trending Locally in Bath Renovations
If a big home remodeling project is at the top of your list in 2025, you’re in good company. Statistics show a record number of homeowners are opting to remodel their existing homes rather than relocate due to rising home prices and mortgage rates. American homeowners spent about $827 billion on home improvement projects in…
New Gym Offers Pro-Style Training for All Fitness Levels
A n Arizona native and former NFL player is on a mission to offer pro-style training to the public with the opening of a new one-stop-shop community gym in Desert Hills. PHOTOS BY ABRAR KHALID PHOTOGRAPHY Inferno Gym celebrated its grand opening late last month and is owned by Dontay Moch and his wife Sarah,…
New Year Brings New Restaurants & Retail …(and, Burritos!)
Retail and restaurant choices off the I-17 & Dove Valley Road exit are about to get lively later this year. The development, referred to as Pointe17, has signed lease agreements for all but only one remaining pad in Thompson Thrift’s commercial development off Dove Valley Road & 29th Avenue. Chipotle is the latest tenant to…