Parent Update October 2025

DVUSD has been spooktacular in the month of October! With Fall Break behind us, we look forward to more learning and growing together as we start the second quarter of the school year. Thank you for staying informed by reading these monthly District Updates.

The annual Deer Valley Unified School District Special Report to the Community will be arriving in every mailbox within the District's boundaries in the coming days (and may have already been delivered to some mailboxes!). This publication provides transparent details surrounding the District's fiscal responsibility. Learn all about this spending, the upcoming Override and Land Sale election measures, and read about the accolades of DVUSD students, programs and schools!

Parent Teacher Conferences will take place across the District on October 16 & 17 for all DVUSD schools. All K-12 Students will have half-day early release days on Thursday and Friday, October 16 and 17, to accommodate conferences. Your school will provide additional information on specific schedules for those days.

The purpose of this presentation is to celebrate the accomplishments and successes of our schools and students during the 2024–25 school year, highlighting academic achievement as well as broader opportunities such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Dual Enrollment, CTE certifications, and other measures of readiness. Along with sharing these highlights, the presentation will provide insights into how ACT, AP, IB, and other assessment results guide our ongoing efforts to strengthen college, career, and life readiness for all students.

You can preview the presentation at www.dvusd.org/difference.

No matter your political views, one thing we can all agree on is how important the upcoming election on November 4 is for our community—and especially for the Deer Valley Unified School District.

DVUSD Governing Board President Paul Carver Jr. and Governing Board member Stephanie Simacek are here to share why your voice matters and why it's so important for everyone living within the DVUSD boundaries to participate in this mail-in ballot election.

Calling the class of 2039! Future Kindergarten parents and students, join all DVUSD K-6 and K-8 schools Nov. 12-13 at our Fall Kindergarten Preview Events! School staff will be available on all campuses to answer questions and help you register your student for this next exciting chapter in their educational journey! If you have a student ready to start Kindergarten next fall, check out the events at dvusd.org/kindergarten. You can find additional information about DVUSD’s #Extraordinary Kindergarten program and details about how to register a student at www.dvusd.org/Kindergarten. Registration for 2026-27 Kindergarten opens November 3! To register, visit www.dvusd.org/register.

Any family living in Arizona who would like to attend a school that is outside their home school boundaries may apply for Open Enrollment into a DVUSD school. Please view the School Boundary Maps to determine the school you are applying for is not currently your home school.

Applications will be reviewed starting in January and approved if the school has availability.

Open Enrollment applications are accepted throughout the year for current year Open Enrollment.

Approval of Open Enrollment is based on school, grade level and program capacity. Using current enrollment, the District determines each school’s student enrollment, projected growth, and available space.

Families will be notified by email if the completed application has been approved, denied, or placed on a wait list. Upon an approved email notification, you must register online to the approved school no later than 10 days after the notification of the approval, or the student forfeits the approved Open Enrollment and will need to reapply.

Per Governing Board Policy JFB, students currently enrolled, children of employees, and siblings of students who are currently enrolled will receive priority.

If there is no capacity, the application will be wait listed. If capacity permits at a later time, applications that have been wait listed will be approved and the parent/guardian will be notified of the acceptance decision.

Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete.

False information submitted on the application will be considered a breach of the agreement and the open enrollment will be revoked.

October is National Principals Month! This month is a time to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our #extraordinary school leaders whose visionary leadership plays a vital role in our students' success! Submit a short message expressing your thanks or telling everyone why your principal is the best!

Exciting news! DVUSD Barry Goldwater High School has been recognized as a Model PLC High School by Solution Tree — the FIRST high school in Arizona to earn this honor!

This national recognition celebrates Goldwater’s deep commitment to the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process, where educators collaborate, use data to inform instruction, and ensure that every student learns at high levels.

This achievement highlights the dedication of Goldwater’s staff, students, and community to a culture of collaboration and excellence. Congratulations Bulldogs on this honor!

Hear what he has to say about the current state of Arizona education, the importance of the upcoming Override election on DVUSD, how DVUSD is performing compared to other districts throughout the state, and more!

Class of 2030 students as well as their families are invited to attend Future Freshman Night to learn about each school's programs, tour the campuses, and meet administration and faculty. Dates are listed chronologically. Contact the school for more information.

Sandra Day O'Connor High School

November 3, 2025

Last Names A-L

5:30 - 6:25 p.m. Orientation in auditorium

6:35 - 7:30 p.m. Campus tours

Last Names M-Z

5:30 - 6:25 p.m. Campus tours

6:35 - 7:30 p.m. Orientation in auditorium

Barry Goldwater High School

November 5, 2025

6 - 7:15 p.m. Presentation in main gym

Boulder Creek High School
6 p.m. Presentation in gym followed by an open house until 7:30 p.m.

Aspire- Deer Valley's Online Academy

November 12, 2025

3:30 -5:00 p.m. Presentation and explore content area info

Deer Valley High School

November 12, 2025
6 - 7:30 p.m. Presentation in auditorium

Mountain Ridge High School

November 20, 2025

5:00pm Presentation at the football field followed by campus open house until 6:30.

Two homecoming games remain for our DVUSD schools. Come check them out under the Friday Night Lights!

Mountain Ridge High School vs. Boulder Creek

Oct 17 @ 7 p.m.
Parade - October 15 @ 9:15 a.m.

Sandra Day O'Connor High School vs. Boulder Creek
Oct. 24 @ 7 p.m.

Parade - October 22 @ 7 p.m.

Desert Sky Middle School is highlighting Mr. Day's woodshop class, which aims to teach students valuable life skills and possibly inspire them to pursue trade careers in the future. Catch everything these students are learning in this Fox10 segment!