This month, Desert Sunrise High School will accept its first students. It’s a milestone and a statement about the population growth in Maricopa over the years. Just a few years ago, all that sat at the site of Desert Sunrise was a stand of pecan trees, which was known as the Cortona property. It’s shown in a photo taken a few years ago. Desert Sunrise, shown in an aerial shot by Brian Petersheim Jr., will start off with just freshmen and sophomores this year. In the second year, the school will add a junior class, and then a year later, a senior class.
