Some Dysart Unified School District leaders are hoping to tout the “extraordinary experience” students have there.

Superintendent Dr. Quinn Kellis and the DUSD Governing Board disucssed  possible changes to the district’s “vision statement” during the Sept. 11 board meeting.

“Power in the Preparation, Excellence in the Journey and Success for a Lifetime” has been the district’s vision statement for the last decade.

However, Mr. Kellis said a change to “Dysart: An Extraordinary Experience” would give DUSD an opportunity to keep the district on the new path, using growth and success to make it even better.

“It is the intent of the district every person who engages here has an extraordinary experience,” he said. “We are making a collective effort to ensure this happens. The reality of the situation is we are competing with many other educational providers and that competition comes down to the experience a family has with a school. And it is our obligation to ensure every student, parent and employee believe it is extraordinary. There should be no reason they need to go somewhere else to get a better education.”

Board member Traci Sawyer-Sinkbeil opposed the change to the vision statement, saying groups collaborated 10 years ago to send a clear message about the type of education students receive at Dysart.

“This new vision doesn’t quite tell me we are an educational facility and say we are an education facility providing our students with tools they need to be successful,” Ms. Sawyer-Sinkbeil said.

Mr. Kellis explained the idea of an updated vision statement originated several months ago during a professional development experience where groups were asked to identify a problem statement and work through the statement.

“As we identified what Dysart needs and what would help us to move past the current plateau on which we stand and go further, higher and become stronger, providing a greater experience came to mind,” Mr. Kellis said. “It forced a productive dialogue how we get to where we want to be from where we are. “The phrase ‘extraordinary experience’ can be defined differently for every individual, employee and students can assess their performance or experience.”

Board member Jay Leonard said he is in support of the possible change, saying the new vision is a shift in gears, and with a new superintendent and all the changes the district is making, he’s buying into the next phase of what Dysart is becoming.

“We are a destination and want to be a place where kids want to come,” Mr. Leonard said.

Mr. Kellis said the district is trying to create community within itself and wants families to have a connection to their local school and have an extraordinary experience as they navigate anywhere with the district.

Editor’s note: Ms. Jimenez is a contributor to Surprise Independent.