New Santa Cruz Elementary dedicated with ‘heart and soul’

Santa Cruz Elementary, the newest school site in the Maricopa Unified School District, officially opened with dedication ceremonies Friday just prior to Meet the Teacher Night.

Speaking before a packed room of parents, students and staff members, Superintendent Dr. John Flores called it “a beautiful school with a great design–an optimum learning facility.” Thanking teachers, parents and the design team for their efforts, Flores reminded them, “Our future is our children.”

The design, the same as the one utilized at Maricopa Elementary School at Alterra, features a gated, interior courtyard with a media center located adjacent to it. Classrooms are divided by grade level in various wings at the site.

This is the fourth elementary school built in the past four years; two more are scheduled to open next fall in the Villages and at Glennwilde. The expansion of the high school is ongoing, and a second middle school at Tortosa is on the drawing board. “We’ve grown a lot,” noted Governing Board President Jim Chaston.

D.L. Withers Construction Project Manager David Bradley, explained, “It’s been a tight schedule and a bit of a challenge; that’s the brick and mortar. But that’s not what the school is about; it’s the process of education.”

Before cutting the ribbon to officially open Santa Cruz Elementary, Principal Lynnette Michalski thanked parents for giving their children (the Santa Cruz Coyotes) “roots” and told them she and her staff would be giving those children “wings.”

“You, staff, are the heart of this school,” said Michalski. Looking at the many students in attendance, she added, “Coyotes, you are the soul of this school.”

Photos by Joyce Hollis