An unnamed Mesa Unified District (4235) representative told students and families at Westwood High School that the district will begin the 2025-26 school year on July 31 and asked families to reenroll and sign up for the district's ParentSquare communication app.

The representative said summer work included teacher professional development, support-staff projects and facility renovations funded by tax dollars. "We start school on July 31," the speaker said. "Please sign up for Parent Square, go get the app, download it, get connected to your school where you'll receive messages from both your principal leaders and your teacher leaders, your athletic leaders, and your arts leaders throughout the entire school year."

Why this matters: the district framed the preparations as central to student safety, daily routines and academic readiness. The speaker noted teachers completed training in areas such as universal design for learning to support personalized instruction and said custodial and operations staff renovated gym surfaces at Westwood to provide "safe surfaces and safe places to play and perform on."

The district representative also urged families who have not reenrolled to do so and highlighted program options available for the coming year, including college and career academies at high schools, ninth-grade teams and tenth-grade cohorts, junior-high teaming models, and multiple elementary school choice options. "We have a variety of different school choice options at the elementary school level," the speaker said. "Based on how you want your kids educated, there is a choice in Mesa Unified District for you."

The speaker, who identified 28 years in education, framed the start of the year as a moment of opportunity: "There's so much potential at the beginning of the year that you can anticipate and feel with your students and that's what makes the beginning of the school year just incredibly special."

The announcement was presented as information for families and students rather than a formal board action; no motions or votes were recorded in the remarks. The district emphasized operational readiness, communication through ParentSquare and available program options as the main takeaways for families ahead of the July 31 opening.