Dysart Unified School District, Arizona
| Deer Valley Unified School District |
|---|
 |
| Surprise, Arizona |
| District details |
| Superintendent: John Croteau |
| # of school board members: 5 |
| Website: Link |
Dysart Unified School District is a school district in Arizona.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district’s…
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
John Croteau is the superintendent of Dysart Unified School District. Croteau started serving in May 2022. Croteau's previous career experience includes serving as the district's Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Assistant Superintendent for Support Services.[1]
Past superintendents
- Quinn R. Kellis was the superintendent of the Dysart Unified School District from July 2018 until May 2022.[2] Kellis' previous career experience includes working as the district's assistant superintendent and as the superintendent of the Madison School District.[3] Following his term as superintendent, Kellis has worked with the Utah State Board of Education as a Teaching and Learning Coordinator.[2]
- Gail Pletnick was the superintendent of the Dysart Unified School District from 2007 to 2018. Pletnick's previous career experience included working as the district's assistant superintendent.[4]
School board
The Dysart Unified School District Governing Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large.[5]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Dysart Unified School District, At-large | Dawn Densmore | 2018 |
| Dysart Unified School District, At-large | Denise Destiche | January 1, 2025 |
| Dysart Unified School District, At-large | Jennifer Drake | January 1, 2023 |
| Dysart Unified School District, At-large | Stephen Skvara | January 1, 2025 |
| Dysart Unified School District, At-large | Mary Jane Ziola | January 1, 2025 |
Elections
Board members are elected on a staggered basis in November of even-numbered years.
Three seats on the Dysart Unified School District school board in Arizona were up for general election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline for this election was July 8, 2024.
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The Dysart Unified School District Governing Board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]
| “ |
Public Participation The public may address the Governing Board at these meetings during "Audience with Individuals". Sign up between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. on the evening of the meeting using the Request to Address the Board form. The forms are available in the meeting lobby. Public meetings are an important component of Dysart Unified School District. Governing Board members sit together on a common platform to exchange views and opinions and reach solutions benefiting the Dysart community. Behavior of participants and guests at a Governing Board meeting is important to the successful governance of the district. Dysart respects the first amendment rights of community members to share their comments with the board through civil discourse. In that vein, the following rules will be followed: All present will demonstrate behavior that reflects respect for self and others. Disorderly conduct that interferes with the education processes of the District (A.R.S. 13-2911), or failure to comply with reasonable requests will not be tolerated. Any person who engages in disorderly conduct (A.R.S. 13-2904) will be dismissed from the meeting, trespassed by law enforcement, and/or arrested.[7] |
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School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[8]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $50,194,000 | $2,187 | 18% |
| Local: | $109,815,000 | $4,786 | 38% |
| State: | $127,470,000 | $5,555 | 44% |
| Total: | $287,479,000 | $12,529 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $269,695,000 | $11,429 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $226,963,000 | $9,618 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $129,522,000 | $5,489 | 48% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $33,641,000 | $1,425 | 12% |
| Administration: | $19,376,000 | $821 | 7% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $44,424,000 | $1,882 | 16% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $29,636,000 | $1,255 | |
| Construction: | $14,641,000 | $620 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $5,763,000 | $244 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $4,360,000 | $184 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024[9] | $42,383 | $60,473 |
| 2020-2021[10] | $40,873 | $57,014 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[11]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 34 | 45-49 | 17 | 27 | 25-29 | 37 | 42 |
| 2018-2019 | 44 | 65-69 | 31 | 36 | 35-39 | 48 | 52 |
| 2017-2018 | 43 | 60-64 | 29 | 35 | 20-24 | 44 | 51 |
| 2016-2017 | 40 | 61 | 29 | 32 | 20-24 | 46 | |
| 2015-2016 | 36 | 62 | 24 | 28 | 25-29 | 43 | |
| 2014-2015 | 34 | 57 | 22 | 25 | 25-29 | 41 | |
| 2013-2014 | 68 | 84 | 59 | 61 | 55-59 | 75 | |
| 2012-2013 | 67 | 87 | 53 | 59 | 60-64 | 74 | |
| 2011-2012 | 67 | 84 | 57 | 58 | 65-69 | 73 | |
| 2010-2011 | 68 | 87 | 58 | 59 | 60-64 | 75 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 40 | 45-49 | 29 | 33 | 25-29 | 46 | 48 |
| 2018-2019 | 45 | 65-69 | 34 | 37 | 30-34 | 48 | 54 |
| 2017-2018 | 44 | 55-59 | 34 | 36 | 30-34 | 48 | 52 |
| 2016-2017 | 43 | 57 | 34 | 34 | 20-24 | 50 | |
| 2015-2016 | 39 | 60 | 28 | 30 | 30-34 | 47 | |
| 2014-2015 | 34 | 51 | 23 | 25 | 20-24 | 41 | |
| 2013-2014 | 83 | 91 | 78 | 76 | 70-74 | 88 | |
| 2012-2013 | 81 | 93 | 72 | 74 | 80-84 | 86 | |
| 2011-2012 | 79 | 91 | 74 | 72 | 70-74 | 85 | |
| 2010-2011 | 80 | 91 | 75 | 72 | 75-79 | 86 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 93 | >=95 | 85-89 | 92 | >=50 | 90-94 | 94 |
| 2018-2019 | 93 | >=90 | 90-94 | 93 | >=50 | 90-94 | 93 |
| 2017-2018 | 94 | >=95 | >=95 | 93 | >=80 | 90-94 | 94 |
| 2016-2017 | 92 | >=90 | 85-89 | 92 | >=50 | 92 | |
| 2015-2016 | 91 | 90-94 | 90-94 | 90 | >=80 | 91 | |
| 2014-2015 | 87 | >=90 | 85-89 | 85 | >=80 | 89 | |
| 2013-2014 | 85 | >=90 | 80-84 | 83 | >=80 | 86 | |
| 2012-2013 | 81 | 80-89 | 75-79 | 79 | >=50 | 84 | |
| 2011-2012 | 84 | 80-84 | 80-84 | 81 | >=80 | 86 | |
| 2010-2011 | 88 | 90-94 | 85-89 | 85 | >=50 | 91 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 23,118 | -0.2 |
| 2022-2023 | 23,173 | -1.8 |
| 2021-2022 | 23,596 | 2.5 |
| 2020-2021 | 23,011 | -6.9 |
| 2019-2020 | 24,590 | 0.8 |
| 2018-2019 | 24,383 | 1.1 |
| 2017-2018 | 24,122 | -2.3 |
| 2016-2017 | 24,672 | -0.9 |
| 2015-2016 | 24,885 | -6.2 |
| 2014-2015 | 26,421 | 1.1 |
| 2013-2014 | 26,121 | 0.6 |
| 2012-2013 | 25,971 | 4.7 |
| 2011-2012 | 24,756 | 2.3 |
| 2010-2011 | 24,175 | -1.1 |
| 2009-2010 | 24,430 | 0.2 |
| 2008-2009 | 24,373 | 4.0 |
| 2007-2008 | 23,401 | 11.5 |
| 2006-2007 | 20,700 | 14.2 |
| 2005-2006 | 17,753 | 19.8 |
| 2004-2005 | 14,230 | 21.6 |
| 2003-2004 | 11,150 | 19.4 |
| 2002-2003 | 8,982 | 23.0 |
| 2001-2002 | 6,918 | 21.1 |
| 2000-2001 | 5,459 | 15.6 |
| 1999-2000 | 4,607 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Dysart Unified School District (%) | Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1.1 | 4.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.8 | 3.2 |
| Black | 7.6 | 5.8 |
| Hispanic | 43.6 | 48.2 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Two or More Races | 6.6 | 4.3 |
| White | 38.9 | 33.9 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Dysart Unified School District had 1,165.50 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 19.84.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 15.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 64.00 |
| Elementary: | 729.39 |
| Secondary: | 357.11 |
| Total: | 1,165.50 |
Dysart Unified School District employed 22.00 district administrators and 57.99 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 22.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 74.69 |
| School Administrators: | 57.99 |
| School Administrative Support: | 97.71 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 397.72 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 32.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 22.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 22.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 1.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 228.53 |
| Other Support Services: | 263.08 |
Schools
Contact information
Dysart Unified School District
15802 N. Parkview Pl.
Surprise, AZ 85374
Phone: 623-876-7000
About school boards
Education legislation in Arizona
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Arizona | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Dysart Unified School District
- Arizona School Boards Association
- Arizona Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ Dysart Schools, "Meet the Superintendent," accessed September 25, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn, "Quinn R. Kellis," accessed September 25, 2023
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Quinn R Kellis," accessed November 5, 2019
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Gail Pletnick," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Dysart Unified School District, "Governing Board Policies," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Dysart Unified School District, "District Governing Board," accessed January 19, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ Dysart Unified School District, "2023-2024 Certified Salary Schedule," accessed February 3, 2024
- ↑ Dysart Unified School District, "Dysart Unified School District 2020-2021 Certified Salary Schedule," accessed May 19, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
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