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A thick carpet of mud covers one of the classrooms at Desert Sun Elementary on Aug. 1. A torrential monsoon downpour left more than a foot of water in some classrooms after the campus flooded during the storm July 31. Classes have been moved north to the former Black Mountain Elementary campus until repairs and cleanup–estimated at $2 million–are finished sometime in October.
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Students forced to relocate after Desert Sun Elementary floods
by Brian DiTullio

CCUSD – Desert Sun Elementary school students will be starting the new school year at another Cave Creek Unified School District campus after the July 31 monsoon flooded the facility, causing an estimated $2 million in damages.

The storm, called by many area residents the worst they’ve seen in years, flooded or washed away several roads in the Northeast Valley and inundated the Desert Sun campus at 64th Street and Dynamite Boulevard.

CCUSD Associate Superintendent of Operations and Finance Kent Frison said he received a call on the night of the storm that the security alarm had gone off at the school. It appears the floodwaters rose from a natural wash nearby and were too much for existing flood controls to handle, according to Frison.

“I was told the security guard, while responding to the alarm, found the doors open and water pouring in. They told me, ‘It’s just a disaster there.’ ”

Frison related that between 25 and 30 classrooms were affected, ranging from some water damage to water and mud in many rooms. “It’s not just a little bit of water there,” he said. As a result, all classes are being moved to the former Black Mountain Elementary School campus about one mile south of Carefree Highway at 60th Street and Dove Valley Road.

Frison added that he expects Desert Sun classes to open at the Black Mountain campus on time Aug. 9, and that the administration currently is working on putting a campus map together for students and parents to get everyone where they need to be.

“We’ll let them know what the process is,” he said.

The good news is CCUSD’s insurance company is covering almost all of the $2 million in damages, with the district only having to cover the deductible, which Frison estimated to be about $1,000.

Parents have been notified about the flood and subsequent move via a phone‑out message on Thursday. Frison said it took a few days for district personnel to assess the situation fully and decide on a course of action.

The Desert Sun Elementary move took place this past weekend, as all furniture and equipment affected by the flooding needed to be cleaned and disinfected.

“We’re in clean‑up mode right now,” Frison told The Desert Advocate, explaining 25 volunteers are assisting with the move.

He noted that complete clean‑up and repair efforts could last until the middle of October, but he is hoping to have everything done by the end of September, at which time students would return to the Desert Sun campus.

“We have to put up new drywall, new plaster, paint and carpet.”

An open house is scheduled for Aug. 8 from 4‑5:30 p.m. at the Black Mountain campus, which is being dubbed “Desert Sun North.”

Transportation information is available at the district Web site www.ccusd93.org. Buses will pick up Desert Sun students at the normal stops and drop them off at the temporary school. Students who walked or biked to Desert Sun can be picked up at the school for transportation north. The pick up will be scheduled for around 8:30 a.m.

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