Deer Valley schools boast several remodeling projects
by Brian DiTullio

DVUSD – A number of Deer Valley Unified School District facility improvement projects were completed over the summer.

Director of Fiscal Services Jim Migliorino gave the governing board a report at its Sept. 25 meeting, stating all projects were funded through the current bond measure.

Migliorino said there were several front‑office remodeling projects classified as major improvements. Changes made included reconfiguring front desks in relation to entrances and exits and adding additional square footage at Desert Mountain Elementary School.

“The goal was to improve the functionality at our schools,” he said.

Anthem Elementary School got a larger lobby area and a new corridor that restricts access to the main campus, requiring visitors to check in with the front office before proceeding further, according to Migliorino. The school also had some interior rooms repainted, along with exterior concrete and paving work.

Boulder Creek High School benefitted through several surfacing projects to the athletic areas.

Deer Valley Middle School, Desert Sky Middle School and Hillcrest Middle School all received upgrades to their media centers.

The improvements were district wide, and included roofing and HVAC work at several schools.

“Every bit of this was from the bond?” asked Governing Board President Michael Gregoire, to which Migliorino replied, “Yes.”

A few district educators spoke during Call to the Public, thanking the board for its work on getting teachers a new contract this past spring. However, they cautioned that there is still “a long way to go,” and they are beginning to question how the district is spending money.

Mark Kafouros, a teacher at Deer Valley High School, specifically asking about the distribution of district resources, pointed to current construction at the administration building and commented, “You’re putting more cubicles in an already overstaffed administration.”

Board member Bill Maas invited any teacher who wants to talk about the district’s finances and contracts to contact him personally.