INSIDE:
COMMUNITY P.22 | AROUND AF P.30 | OPINION P.32 | BUSINESS P.35 | FAITH P.42 | GETOUT P.44 | SPORTS P.51| CLASSIFIED P.47
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS www.ahwatukee.com
TEEN LIFELINE
Wednesday, AUGUST 16, 2017
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@AhwatukeeFN
‘School of the future’
Kyrene board OKs K-8 campus plan
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
. 17
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yrene School District is on its way toward its first pre-K-8 campus after the governing board last week approved $6.2 million to expand the Kyrene Traditional Academy-Sureno Campus in Chandler. The board’s 4-1 vote came after Superintendent Jan Vesely urged it to begin “designing schools of the future” and reminded it that “in an environment of school choice, Kyrene needs to think
forward and not static.” The district is still a long way and millions of dollars from fully realizing a goal the board began formulating in 2012 and approved in concept nearly two years ago. Besides determining the specific construction work that will be covered by the $6.2 million, the board also will still have to approve another $6 million or so to complete the campus’ transformation. “It’s not a final,” board President John King reminded his colleagues. “It’s where we’re at right now. We need to establish a budget and we haven’t agreed on what phase
one looks like yet.” Nevertheless, King and the other three board members who approved the project called their vote an important step toward fulfilling a promise to KTA parents and toward better positioning the district in the increasingly more competitive push for higher student enrollment. Because state reimbursement depends almost exclusively on student enrollment, Kyrene is competing with both neighboring school districts and charter schools for
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS HELPING POLICE
See
KYRENE on page 6
Hut, hut! Pride, Thunder ready for the 2017 season BY GREG MACAFEE AFN Sports Editor
. 22
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TREASURE TROVE
. 35
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TOP CHEF
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
. 44
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Mountain Pointe High School varsity wide receiver and defensive back Lacirea Pleasant-Johnson reaches for a grab during practice.
hwatukee always has at least one successful high school football team. But in 2017, the community will have two teams with the talent to make a run for a state championship. Last year ended the same way for both Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe high schools – with losses to Chandler High in the Class 6A State Tournament. Desert Vista was knocked out in the quarterfinals, while Mountain Pointe made a run to the state championship game. The Pride finished the season ranked No. 1 in Class 6A and had beaten Chandler High earlier in the fall by 45 points. On its run to the championship and throughout the season, however, the Pride suffered numerous injuries. In its semifinal victory over Red Mountain High the team lost at least four starters. This season, the Pride will return with another strong defense featuring defensive backs Kenny Churchwell and Delano Salgado, who combined for 93 tackles and six interceptions. But injuries already have impacted the See
FOOTBALL on page 21
(Kimberly Carrillo/AFN Photographer)
Caleb Humphrey, a linebacker and free safety for Desert Vista High, demonstrates his prowess as he prepares for Friday’s first game of the year.
Football outlook for this year see p. 51