Tolleson Elementary School District Celebrates Arizona Desert Elementary School Field of Dreams Ribbon Cutting; $6 Million Field to Serve Students in the School District
(TOLLESON, Ariz. – May 19, 2023) – On May 18, students from Arizona Desert Elementary School were joined by Tolleson Elementary School District (Tolleson ESD) leadership, the Tolleson ESD Mariachi Band, CHASSE Building Team, SPS+ Architects, and members across the community to celebrate the opening of their Field of Dreams, a $6.2 million multi-sport outdoor space set across 6.25 acres featuring large-scale soccer, softball, and baseball fields – all with state-of-the-art lighting and artificial, all-weather turf– as well as room to play, landscape improvements, and an expansive concession center building with restrooms.
“We cannot wait to get on that field,” said Arizona Desert Elementary Student Council President Dalia Bukundja during the ribbon cutting ceremony in advance of the big “breaking in.” “While I am headed to ninth grade next year, expect to see me back here enjoying it for years to come. This will be the place to be for the entire city.”
In addition to Bukundja, fellow student and Arizona Desert Elementary School JAG President Italia Romero-Apodaca also took the podium at the ribbon cutting, adding “We are looking forward to the positive changes this project will bring to the students and staff of our community.” JAG is short for Jobs for Arizona Graduates and its goal is to provide and encourage an environment in which all students develop a passion for learning and acquire the skills necessary to create, compete, and succeed in their education.
“In our district we believe that every single child is capable of success – no exceptions,” said Tolleson ESD Dr. Lupita Hightower, 2023 Arizona Superintendent of the Year, when she took the podium. “Every single one of our treasures deserves the best teachers, the best curriculum, and also the very best facilities available. Folks at Tolleson ESD often joke that ‘You know how Hightower likes green grass for the kids,’ and they are right. I am a stickler for high-quality in everything we do for our treasures, including having the opportunity to see green grass.”
From groundbreaking to completion, the Field of Dreams took eight months – almost to the day – to complete.
“On behalf of our entire community and especially our school, we would like to thank our Governing Board for their commitment to our school: Ms. Tida Garcia, Mr. Samuel, Quezada, Jr., Ms. Belinda Quezada, Ms. Roberta Garcia, and Mr. Anthony Aponte, as well as former board member Ms. Adriana Morado,” Brenda Catlett, Principal of Arizona Desert Elementary School. “We would also like to thank our amazing partners on this project in CHASSE Building Team and SPS+ Architects.”
For more information, visit www.azd.tollesonschools.com.
