Goodyear celebrates its newest namesake

By Mary Goldmeer
Mail

The Goodyear City Council celebrated the opening of Goodyear High School, the city’s first educational namesake.

At the meeting, city leaders and school officials highlighted the school’s significance for the growing community and recognized the partnerships that brought the project to completion.

“In just one year, we went from breaking ground to opening our doors,” said Principal Jason Linn. “We wouldn’t be here without the voters who passed the bond, the city for helping us secure permits, and the contractors who made this facility possible.”

Few people in Goodyear have followed the effort to build a new high school more closely than Councilmember Trey Terry. Before being elected to the City Council, Terry served on the Agua Fria Union High School District governing board, where discussions about the need for a new campus in the city began years ago. 

“There were many roadblocks and speed bumps along the way — site plans, different locations, different designs,” Terry said. “But we settled on this, and I can’t say enough about Mr. Linn’s leadership. He’s from this community, and he serves this community.”

The $175 million campus is part of the Agua Fria Union High School District and opened earlier this month to 442 students. 

Council members said the school represents both the city’s growth and a new chapter for local education.

Vice Mayor Wally Campbell said the name “Goodyear High School” carries special weight for longtime residents.

“I’ve been waiting 25 years to have a school named after the city,” Campbell said. “This is very special, and we’ll support it as much as possible.”

Councilmember Laura Kaino praised the school’s effort to include a museum space highlighting Goodyear’s history, while Councilmember Brannon Hampton noted its impact on families like his own.

“There’s no doubt that Goodyear is growing faster than ever,” Tammy Vo, the city’s communications director. “That plot of land might be gone today, but it certainly lives on in a new way.”

The land where Goodyear High School now stands once held the Phoenix Trotting Park, a harness racing venue that opened in January 1965 with more than 12,000 people on opening night. The park featured stables, betting windows and a fine-dining restaurant, but struggled with attendance due to its limited access from Phoenix.

The track closed within a few years, but its grandstand became a familiar landmark for drivers along Interstate 10. The decaying structure was demolished in 2017.

Today, the site is being described by city officials as a community anchor, not for horse racing, but for the students who will pass through the new high school’s halls.

“We're excited to share the history of Goodyear. It reminds us of how to keep moving folded,” Linn said. 

Goodyear High School is the fifth comprehensive high school in the Agua Fria district. Linn said students and staff are already working to establish traditions for the campus, which will house local artifacts and serve as a hub for academics, athletics and the arts.

Visit ghs.aguafria.org for more information.