Paradise Valley Unified School District spent nearly $33.85 million on facilities projects during fiscal year 2026, including replacing 70 failing air-conditioning units as aging schools continue to require upgrades and repairs.
Dr. Drew Davis, PVSchools director of bond and construction, presented the district's annual facilities update to the governing board Sept. 17, outlining projects ranging from HVAC and roofing improvements to playgrounds, flooring, lighting, plumbing and athletic facilities.
Davis said total expenditures for the projects were $33,845,305, including $32,256,431 in bond expenses.
The majority of the work was completed during the district's 65-day summer break.
Projects were selected based on several factors, including input from schools, environmental safety, security, building conditions and equipment life expectancy, Davis said.
HVAC accounted for a significant portion of the district's work.
“As a majority of our schools have entered their third decade of life, original-build HVAC systems have surpassed their life expectancy in the desert climate and the harsh water conditions,” Davis said.
The district replaced 70 failing HVAC units and upgraded 14 HVAC plants during the year.
“Problematic and aging HVAC units impact safety, comfort and the learning environment and are most costly to use, maintain and repair,” Davis said.
Davis said the district is also seeing energy-efficiency improvements as older HVAC equipment is replaced and schools are converted to LED lighting.
Among the other work completed or underway were 14 flooring projects at 13 sites, 11 interior painting projects at seven sites, four exterior painting and weatherization projects at four sites and 26 playground, gym and sports court projects at 15 sites.
The district also completed or undertook 14 roofing projects at 14 sites, six LED projects at five sites and fencing projects at nine sites. Davis said fencing improvements included replacing damaged fencing and adding fencing where additional security was needed, particularly around student pickup and drop-off locations.
Some projects focused on individual campuses.
North Canyon High School received a renovated kitchen and cafeteria area with new flooring, upgraded equipment and changes designed to make food service more efficient.
Pinnacle High School received shower and locker room improvements, while Paradise Valley High School received renovations to its gym lobby and a replacement for an antiquated water-based fire-curtain system on its stage.
The district also completed work on the Paradise Valley High School football field, the last high school athletic field in the district to be upgraded, according to Davis. The new field includes an enhanced underlayment and alternating light- and dark-green stripes that Davis referred to as a “watermelon” design.
Work also continues on the rebuild of Indian Bend Elementary School.
Davis said the project remains on schedule and on budget. Power and HVAC systems are operating and parking lots have been paved. Furniture installation is expected to begin the week of Nov. 9, with the district anticipating a certificate of occupancy Dec. 1.
“It's going to be a very busy sprint to the end,” Davis said.
PVSchools also received slightly more than $631,000 through the state's Building Renewal Grant program during the year, Davis said. The competitive state program provides money to address deficiencies at school facilities.
Davis credited community support of district bond initiatives with making much of the work possible.
“The biggest thank you, of course, goes to our voters,” Davis said. “Thank you to the PVSchools community for their support of our bond initiatives to make all of this possible.”
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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