Since the last school year ended in May, the hallways and playgrounds at Scottsdale Unified School District  have been mostly absent of students, teachers and staff, but not absent of activity. Far from it.

Summertime is the time when annual maintenance and cleaning work is performed by district facilities staff, educators add to their professional teaching skills, district and school administrators create priorities for the new school year, and schools complete their staff and classroom rosters, according to a press release. 

The summer of 2023 has also seen the implementation of new district transportation, safety and security, nutrition, and communications systems, and the near-completion of the 2016 bond’s final, major construction projects at Pueblo and Tavan Elementary schools.

“There is never a dull moment during the summer,” said Superintendent Scott Menzel. “The work district employees contribute during the summer is what lays the groundwork for the successes in our schools and classrooms from August through May. I am so appreciative of their year-round hard work.”

A new policy that will be in effect for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade students for the 2023-24 school year is called “Away for the Day.” The policy calls for student cell phones and digital smart watches to be stored away during the school day, as their presence can distract from student learning and impact emotional well-being.

The district governing board added the policy to the new school year’s code of conduct. Several middle schools piloted the policy this past school year with great success. At this time, the policy does not cover high school students, whose teachers may permit cell phones to be used during class to access instructional materials.

Also in the new school year that begins on Aug. 7, the district will emphasize the importance of student attendance. “Attendance Matters” is a yearlong campaign aimed at stressing to both students and parents alike that student academic performance depends on regular attendance. Education experts say that creating good attendance habits as early as preschool is important to student success throughout their school years.

A brand new school awaits Pueblo Elementary School students, the culmination of a project whose planning began two years ago. Pueblo, located at 6320 N. 82nd St. in Scottsdale, is the sixth, and last, district campus to be rebuilt using voter-approved 2016 bond funds.

In partnership with BWS Architects and McCarthy Building Companies, the new Pueblo replaces six slump block and concrete tilt-up buildings dating back to 1971. The rebuild was guided with the input of a visioning committee comprised of teachers, staff and parents.

“I was so impressed with how the voice of the educator was valued and taken into account with each decision along the way,” said principal Shelley Hummon, who headed the committee.

“While amazing teaching and learning took place at the ‘old’ Pueblo for more than 50 years, serving students, families and greater community well, including my sister and many friends, she was ready to go,” observed Hummon, a 2023 National Association of Elementary School Principals National Distinguished Principal. “The new Pueblo is an absolutely amazing, state-of-the-art, learning facility. The vibrant colors are a great indicator of the rich and positive culture that celebrates our dual-language instruction program.”

The campus rebuild will close out in the coming weeks as work on playgrounds, turf and parking lots finishes up.

Campus renovations at Tavan Elementary School, 4610 E. Osborn Road, Phoenix, began more than a year ago with a summer’s worth of internal updates to existing buildings in 2022.

Tavan is now home to a new building to house arts and gifted instruction, a new administration building, a remodeled former administration building so that Tavan’s youngest students no longer have to cross Osborn Road to access the main campus and a new, one-of-a-kind, shade canopy to provide additional, outdoor P.E. space. There is something for parents, too: redesigned parking lots at the front and back of the campus.

“We are excited to welcome all to our new and enhanced Tavan!” said principal Julie Ballard. “We are so happy to have our pre-K and developmental preschool classrooms join us on the main campus and also to be able to optimize learning opportunities for students with strategically placed, specialized learning classrooms,” Ballard continued.

“I can’t wait to see the kids’ faces when they see the awesome, new innovative P.E. space, art room and gifted makerspace. We love our new and improved Tavan!”

The district’s 27 other schools got some attention this summer, as well. To name just a few projects, all competition gymnasium floors were refinished and preventive maintenance on HVAC systems and plumbing took place. More drinking fountain/bottle-fill stations and ceiling tiles in need of replacement were installed. Facility coordinators and their teams supported summer camps and summer schools. Outside, grounds teams worked through the record-breaking heat to maintain school irrigation systems, turf, trees and other landscaping, and exterior painting projects began at Chaparral and Saguaro High schools, with full roof replacements yet to come.

A new kindergarten playground was built this summer at Sequoya Elementary, 11808 N. 64th St., Scottsdale, and playground rubber at Echo Canyon School, 4330 N. 62nd St., Scottsdale, was refurbished.