Millennium High School Breaks “Wall” on New Phase with CHASSE Building Team
(GOODYEAR, Ariz. – May 22, 2026) – Millennium High School marked a major milestone on May 19, celebrating the “wall breaking” of its Phase 2 redevelopment project for the Agua Fria High School District campus in Goodyear. Designed to reimagine the heart of the campus while maintaining full school operations throughout construction, the multi-phase project will add more than 45,000 square feet of new educational space and modernized learning environments through Spring of 2028.
Traditional ceremonies typically feature a groundbreaking with shovels and dirt. Instead, guests experienced a more hands on approach. Teachers, staff, and community members participated in the demo process by swinging gold sledgehammers at an actual wall during the wall breaking ceremony. District leadership, elected officials, and community stakeholders attended the celebration, including Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo, Goodyear Councilman Trey Terry, Litchfield Park Mayor Thomas Schoaf, Agua Fria High School District Superintendent Mark Yslas, and Agua Fria Governing Board Vice President Vicki Landis.
Led by architect DLR Group and general contractor CHASSE Building Team, the redevelopment project is designed to transform the campus core into a more collaborative and student-centered environment while allowing students and staff to remain active on campus throughout construction.
“Today’s wall-breaking celebration reflects our District’s commitment to addressing critical repairs and renovation at Millennium High School,” said Mark Yslas, superintendent of the Agua Fria High School District. “These critical repairs and facility improvements at Millennium High School will help ensure students have access to reliable, high-quality spaces that support hands-on learning, Workforce Pathways, and long-term student success. We are proud to invest in infrastructure that strengthens both our schools and our community.
Construction will include the demolition of multiple existing campus buildings and the creation of 29 new classroom spaces supporting science, Career and Technical Education programs, and general education instruction. The project also includes a separate 1,400-square-foot locker room renovation beneath the school gymnasium, scheduled to take place during summer 2026 to avoid disruption to school operations.
The redevelopment centers on two new three-level buildings connected by exterior corridors and organized around a central “White Box” multipurpose space designed to serve as the heart of campus activity. The flexible gathering area will open directly to a sunken outdoor plaza featuring cast-in-place concrete tiered learning stairs intended for studying, collaboration and campus events.
A mezzanine overlooking the White Box will create visual connections between levels, while a prominent roll-up door will allow the space to extend outdoors for larger gatherings and activities.
“Millennium High School represents Agua Fria High School District’s next step in engaging our next generation of leaders through learning environments that inspire, individualize, stimulate, and feed our youth’s inherent desire for blending nature and architecture,” said David C. Schmidt, principal at DLR Group.
The new academic spaces will house modern science labs as well as classrooms dedicated to marketing, film and television, digital media and culinary arts programs. Administrative offices and collaboration areas are also being designed with flexibility in mind to encourage student engagement and interaction across disciplines.
Architectural elements throughout the project include expansive aluminum storefront system designed to maximize natural light, along with aluminum composite material panel cladding and decorative metal shading features that create a clean, contemporary identity for the campus.
Construction will be carefully phased between May 2026 and March 2028 to maintain campus functionality without relying on temporary portable classrooms. The approach requires extensive coordination of demolition, rebuilding and turnover schedules, as well as major underground utility relocations involving power, communications and chilled water systems, much of which will occur during summer shutdown periods to minimize disruptions.
“CHASSE is incredibly proud of our long-standing relationship with Agua Fria High School District and Millennium High School,” said Tim Goyette, Project Director at CHASSE Building Team. “After completing more than 15 projects on this campus over the years, we’re grateful to be back alongside DLR Group to continue the revitalization. What makes this effort so exciting is how it brings modern education, collaboration, and community together at the heart of the school. From the new chemistry and biology labs to the expanded culinary, film and TV, and marketing spaces, every part of the design is focused on supporting student creativity and career readiness.”
According to Goyette, the flexible ‘White Box’ space and sunken plaza will create an incredible place for students to connect, learn, and build school pride. This is more than a campus upgrade. It’s an investment in the future of the Millennium community.”
Once complete, the Millennium High School Phase 2 redevelopment project will provide students and staff with modernized educational spaces designed to support innovation, collaboration and hands-on learning opportunities for decades to come while further strengthening the campus as a hub for the greater Goodyear community.
