Superintendent's Message

Year 2017-2018:

• GESD#32 Marching Band invited to the Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade on November 26, 2017.

• November 9th State Superintendent Diane Douglas scheduled a "We Are Listening Tour" at Southwest Junior High from 6:00-8:00 p.m. inviting interested San Luis Educators and Citizens.

• Governor Ducey visits Southwest Junior High.

• 19 additional classrooms were constructed at Ed Pastor thanks to our community approving a bond election.

• A new Gadsden District Office was officially opened and named after Luis Marquez, a Board Member for the last 28 years.

• Our district Special Education, under the direction of Special Education Director Miguel Gonzales received a 100% rating from the Department of Education.

• The Gadsden Elementary School is the only preschool in Yuma County accredited by the National Education Association for Young Children and has the highest Star Rating from the Arizona Preschool Development Grant.

• Gadsden Marching Band received an invitation to participate in a New Years Parade in Rome, having previously participated in London, England and Madrid, Spain.

• Gadsden Elementary School District #32 has the highest number of High Honors students taking the ACT test for college bound students.

• Southwest Jr. High identified by Johns Hopkins University as a top 10 school in the world for two consecutive years

•  Desert View received their 3rd A rating by the state of Arizona; Arizona Desert and Cesar Chavez received a high B; Rio Elementary, Gadsden Elementary, Ed Pastor Elementary, and  Southwest Jr. High received a C; and San Luis Middle School received a D.

• Southwest Junior High welcomes Omar Duron as the new  Principal and Luis Reyes as the new Assistant Principal.

• Ed Pastor welcomes Maria Camacho as their new principal.

• 16 7th Grade students participate in a week-long summer engineering program with the University of Arizona.

• Over 200 5th, 6th, 7th, and eighth grade students attended Johns Hopkins college summer programs in various U. S. Universities.

• Gadsden 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students once again recognized by Johns Hopkins at the University of Arizona as having the most participants in Arizona.

• Southwest Junior High girls win first Countywide Softball Championship in Gadsden's history.

• 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students continue taking college courses at Arizona Community College.

• In partnership with Arizona Western College and the University of Arizona and Gadsden Elementary School District, four college degrees will be offered at the San Luis Middle School Campus in January 2018.

• A classroom expansion for University of Arizona and Arizona Western College at San Luis Middle School is scheduled for completion in December 2017.

• A partnership with Grand Canyon University and GESD#32 for our employees have enrolled in obtaining their college degrees to teach.  Now, each semester will result in continuous student teachers for our district beginning this year.  Over 40 employees enrolled two years ago.

Year 2018-2019:

• Desert View Elementary reaches 2nd place in achievement among Yuma County schools

• Desert View Elementary received their 4th  A rating by the State of Arizona, with high B ratings at Arizona Desert Elementary and Cesar Chavez Elementary

• Governing Board Election canceled with three incumbents returning to the Board:  Luis Marquez, Gloria Torres, and Guillermina Fuentes 

• Employees continue to enroll in teacher certification programs with Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University

• More then $750,000 in scholarships were earned by our Johns Hopkins student this summer

• The University of Arizona engineering program provided summer classes for our students

• Students will be tested on the ACT exam, a college entrance exam, in February to qualify for summer programs

• Full Day Kindergarten offered at all Elementary Schools

• The GESD Marching band to perform in Rome Dec. 28, 1018-January 4, 2019.

• 80 students attend summer academies in math, science and mathematics

• 4 year college degrees offered at San Luis Middle School by the University of Arizona and Arizona Western College

• More than 135 students attend university courses throughout the United States in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University

• Gadsden Elementary teachers salaries are the highest in Yuma county thanks to the RedforEd movement.

Year 2019-2020

• Our partnership with Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University has resulted in at least 33 employees completing state requirements to become fully certified teachers over the last year and a half.  Most of the new teachers are from this community.

• Our cafeteria program will again provide new and improved menus in all our schools, including roving chef, smoothies, carne asada, posole, farmers' markets and food carts in grades 7 and 8.  Salad bars will continue in all schools.  A blender bike will be used in all schools throughout the year to make smoothies.  A garden program is presently being planned at some schools.  Catering menus are available to all district departments.  This service is available to community organizations.

• Students in grades K and 1st grade can now enroll if they reach their 5th and 6th birthday before January 1st., previously the cut off date was before September 15th.

• The right of way into San Luis Middle School, preschool and Arizona Desert should be finished at the beginning of the school year from Union Street to the schools.

• Students in grades 6-8 will continue taking the American College Test (ACT) as a prerequisite for the Johns Hopkins Program for Gifted and Talented Youth.  Please remember the ACT is a test generally taken by high school juniors and seniors before they enter college.

• Approximately 150 students attended summer engineering classes at AWC and GESD this summer.

• Students in grades 6-8 will take Arizona Western College Placement tests to determine appropriate classes for them.

• Students again attended classes in several university programs throughout the USA.

• Students in grades 6-8 continue to attend college classes at Arizona Western College.  Many will continue during the school year.

• Summer school was attended by several hundred students for academics in engineering, art, math and reading.  Several hundred students attended the summer Fine Arts program for art, folkloric dance, mariachi music, Sinaloense Band music, beginning band, norteno music, jazz band, and the Marching Band.

• New Teacher Training began in July. 25-26th.

• All teachers return on July 29th.

• Students begin school on Monday August 5th.

• New 21st Century grants were awarded to seven of our eight schools for more after school programs directed at students and community members.  Funding for five of the schools is for five years, while two are on their last year funding.

• All schools will have music programs

• The marching band is scheduled to participate in the Hollywood Parade in November.  Other scheduled events are the Phoenix, San Luis, and Yuma Light Parades, the Yuma Veterans Day Parade and the Lake Havasu Annual Parade.

• 4 year college degrees are offered at San Luis Middle School by the University of Arizona and Arizona Western College

• A preschool program is available to district employees and community members at a fee lower than most babysitting costs.