The Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) is planning to change their school boundaries for the 2022-2023 school year.

• The new boundaries will affect Aloravita, Stetson Valley, Crescent Hills, Eagle Cove, and possibly other neighborhoods beginning next August (2022-2023 school year).
• The proposed changes are UNFAIR and ILLOGICAL, especially to the Aloravita subdivision.
• The district did NOT properly notify affected families and are not giving them a FAIR chance to provide input and voice their concerns.
• The Governing Board is voting on these changes on November 9th and they have the power to DELAY THE VOTE until better options are provided!

The proposed boundary changes go AGAINST DVUSD’s own School Attendance Boundary Guiding Principles!

Principle #1 - PROXIMITY:

• For Aloravita, the proposed schools (Las Brisas and Hillcrest) are almost twice the distance away, while there are three other schools that are closer:
  • Terramar (K-8) - 2.3 miles
  • West Wing (K-8) – 2.7 miles
  • New E32 School (K-6) – 3 miles
  • Hillcrest (7-8) – 3.9 miles
  • Las Brisas (K-6) – 4.2 miles
• To avoid having to go to two farther schools, why can't Aloravita stay at Terramar and then move to the E32 school once it becomes K-8 or another school is built?
• From an Aloravita resident, “Keep up the good and logical fight. I don't have a dog in it, but as a retired teacher, I totally understand. The distance might even limit parental involvement and student involvement in extracurricular activities.”

Principle #2 - SUSTAINABLE PLAN OVER TIME:

• According to Jim Migliorino, Deputy Superintendent, who is responsible for these changes, “I have commented in the public meetings that these changes are being proposed to continue to allocate the projected student enrollment to all the available schools, and that changing the Aloravita neighborhood to our Las Brisas Elementary School is to continue to make this school viable while ensuring Terramar does not become overcrowded.”
• The projected enrollment for Las Brisas will DECREASE from 709 to 417 (with Aloravita included). Why is over half of the Las Brisas students being moved to the new E32 school which puts that school at risk of not being viable? 
• E32 has a projected enrollment of 600, which means they will have additional capacity. Why was the new school built next to Las Brisas which was UNDER capacity and not next to Terramar or West Wing which are both OVER capacity?
• If school overcrowding was the issue, this should be fairly addressed across the other schools in our area. Why is Aloravita the only neighborhood being removed from Terramar?

• According to the June 2021 Board presentation, a new school was considered for that site back in 2008 but was postponed when the housing market crashed. Why was the same site approved over 13 years later when newer developments (such as Aloravita) have a much greater need for a school in their area?

Principle #3, 4, and 5 - KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER, CONTIGUOUS BOUNDARIES, and TRANSPORTATION IMPLICATIONS:

• By removing Aloravita from Terramar, the remaining neighborhoods  are no longer together or contiguous, which also creates significant transportation implications.
• Currently, Terramar students in Aloravita have numerous options (bus, bike, walk, 5 minute drive) and only must cross one major arterial street (Jomax).
• By moving to Las Brisas and Hillcrest, Aloravita families lose the ability to walk/bike to school, the commute is twice as long, and they must cross 2-3 major arterial streets (Jomax, 67th, Happy Valley). This is a HUGE safety concern!
• By moving Aloravita from Terramar (K-8) to Las Brisas (K-6) and Hillcrest (7-8), older and younger siblings who used to travel to school together will now require separate transportation. This is unfair to those children!
• The additional bus routes/commute time needed to send Aloravita students to two schools puts additional strain on families and the bus driver shortage. This is unfair to parents, children, and our community!

• From an Aloravita resident, “My son just started kindergarten at Terramar and takes the bus. We’ve had a wonderful experience here and he’s made friends with kids who this move won’t affect. My heart will be broken if this change goes through and he will most certainly struggle with the new school if I let him continue in this district. He will no longer be able to ride his bike to see neighborhood friends once he is old enough and see the community interaction between neighborhoods. Please take a moment to email the district. Whether you have kids or not the sense of community will be changed and if you moved here for a safer and united neighborhood this will adversely effect your experience. Please email!”

Principle #6 - LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT:

• Being a new construction neighborhood, most Aloravita children had to switch schools when they moved (likely during the time when schools were still virtual). Now that they are finally settling in, they are being forced to leave their friends and switch schools again. This change is unnecessarily cruel and poses significant mental health risks to these kids!
• School boundaries impact home values and many Aloravita residents chose this area because Terramar Academy of the Arts is a highly rated K-8 school with a unique focus on the arts. How much will this change negatively impact Aloravita’s home sales and property values?
• Even though open enrollment is an option, it is subject to availability (in which Terramar, West Wing, and Stetson Hills are currently at max capacity) and kids can no longer ride the bus. If a high number of families apply for open enrollment to stay at their existing school, how will the district fairly choose who gets selected?

Given the significant impacts of a school boundary change, DVUSD did not communicate these proposed changes to our community in a proactive or effective way—specifically to the areas impacted.

• On 10/25/21, DVUSD emailed a “School Boundary Update” advising a final decision is being made on 11/9/21 to determine which schools are impacted.
• If the limited input received expressed concerns with moving from Terramar to Las Brisas, why are we moving forward with those proposed changes?

• Even for those who read the School Boundary Update email from 10/25, there is a high risk they did not locate the information hidden in the DVUSD site that shows they are impacted. This explains the low volume of input received and limited attendance at the community input meetings.

• Instead of listing out the impacted schools in the email or at least providing instructions on how to find the information, you must dig for it yourself:

  • Click link to the site in the email

  • Click “School Boundary Updates”

  • Click “School Boundary Initative Sept. 30, 2021 Presentation”

  • Read through the 20 page deck to find the map on slide 11 and try to assess based on the color coding/cross streets which areas are impacted

• Aloravita and all impacted neighborhoods should be given a FAIR chance to provide input on all available options before the proposal is finalized and presented to the board for vote.

CALL TO ACTION:

• Please sign this petition to DELAY THE VOTE until logical and fair options are made available.
• Share this information with your neighbors, friends, and family so they can help us do right by our children! 
• Email your input to boundaries@dvusd.org by Nov. 3rd or directly to the governing board members by Nov. 9th who have the power to stop these changes!
  • Kim Fisher - kim.fisher@dvusd.org
  • Ann O’Brien - ann.obrien@dvusd.org
  • Ann Ordway - ann.ordway@dvusd.org
  • Jennie Paperman - jennie.paperman@dvusd.org
  • Julie Read - julie.read@dvusd.org
• Attend the next Governing Board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 9th at 7 pm to show your support or to speak directly to the board in person

  • DVUSD District Office - 20402 N. 15th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85027 (15th Ave. and Beardsley)

  • Meeting begins at 7 pm - Arrive EARLY since there is limited seating due to COVID restrictions.

  • There is a “Call to Public” section of the meeting for community members to directly address the board. If you wish to speak at the meeting, you will need to submit a request upon arrival before the meeting begins.

Overall, these changes have significant short-term and long-term impacts to our community that greatly outweigh any expected benefit or rationale. As a parent of two children in the DVUSD, I am astonished and outraged how the school district is handling this highly impactful change. By signing this petition, we are demanding more time for options to be identified that will serve in the best interest of our children and community's future!