Desert Christian Schools is continuing its $20.5 million expansion following a land-swap agreement with the city.
The school exchanged a portion of its property off of East Broadway with the city for a 10-acre vacant parcel adjacent to its long-standing campus.
The property acquired by the city — called Centre East Center — includes three, two-story buildings on 7.5 acres, which now houses the Ward 2 office and related services.
“The outpouring of support from our community has been nothing short of miraculous,” Richard Luebke, Desert Christian Schools’ executive director.
The academic complex expansion will add 38,000 square feet of space, including 15 modern classrooms, three advanced science labs, a music classroom, and an area that can accommodate more than 400 people. The athletic complex is also undergoing development, with the construction of new facilities for football, soccer, softball, pickleball, beach volleyball and track.
It will allow the school to host home games on their own campus.
New San Miguel High principal
Ernesto Badilla has been selected as San Miguel High School’s new principal and will start in July.
Badilla is career educator who has spent the last 25 years in education.
Badilla “is dedicated to ensuring clear and consistent communication with students and families and creating an environment where students feel welcomed and supported and can realize their God-given gifts and potential,” a news release says.
Lead Guitar has new home
Lead Guitar is now located in the former David and Lura Lovell Foundation’s building, 4765 E Camp Lowell Drive.
Lead Guitar was selected to inherit the Lovell Foundation’s property from a competitive submission process as part of the Foundation’s sunsetting. The new property will allow Lead Guitar to expand operations on both a local and national scale to meet demand for its programs.
Lead Guitar is a nonprofit that builds free in-school guitar ensemble classes in partnership with neighborhood schools nationwide, where more than 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, according to a news release.
More than 7,500 kids are enrolled in Lead Guitar classes every year in Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Atlanta, Phoenix and Tucson.
Renovated San Xavier school opens in August
A revamped San Xavier Mission School is opening its doors in August 2024.
San Xavier Mission Parish, the Diocese of Tucson Department of Catholic Schools, and recently-hired school Principal Minh Solorzano have been working together to bring the upgraded facility to fruition.
Renovations, brand-new classroom and office furniture, and updated interior features are among the upgrades.
San Xavier Mission opened the first Catholic School in Arizona in 1864. In recent years, the Mission decided it was time for some building restoration. Launched in Summer 2023, the renovations include classroom flooring, electrical repair, painted doors and installation of new ceilings in the main building. More renovations are planned.
Tucson Values Teachers seeks nominations
Tucson Values Teachers is accepting nominations for the annual Raytheon Leaders in Education Award.
The program recognizes K-12th grade teachers in Pima County who are achieving outstanding classroom performance, demonstrating leadership in their schools and communities and supporting their peers.
The nomination form can be found at TucsonValuesTeachers.org.
Sahuarita student advances in poetry competition
Isabel Teran, an 11th-grade student at Sahuarita High School, was recently named the 2024 Arizona Poetry Out Loud champion, out of more than 160,800 students competing in this year’s national poetry recitation competition. Teran is advancing to the semifinals in Washington, D.C.
A webcast can be watched at arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud.
Visit PoetryOutLoud.org for more information.
Little Lions is a state-licensed preschool located on the campus of Mountain View High School and offers hands-on experience for Pima JTED’s Early Childhood Education students working with preschoolers who are 3 to 5 years old.
Pima JTED preschool feted
Pima JTED’s Little Lions Preschool has received the highest rating possible in the state from First Things First. This state-funded organization supports early childhood education and health programs aimed at improving children’s success. It established a voluntary ranking system to inform parents about preschools that exceed quality standards and foster a nurturing environment conducive to their child’s learning.
Little Lions is a state-licensed preschool located on the campus of Mountain View High School and offers hands-on experience for Pima JTED’s Early Childhood Education students working with preschoolers who are 3 to 5 years old. It is open to the public and DES approved.
Go to https://pimajted.org/j/little-lions/ to learn more.
