GOODYEAR, AZ — Growth in the West Valley has not been slowing down.
Belen Soto Elementary School, part of the Litchfield Elementary School District (LESD), has had to turn part of its library into more classroom space because of the number of students enrolled this upcoming school year.
"This school year, we're excited to bring back our kids," said Principal Courtney Frazier. "One of the challenges is, we're just bringing back so many of them."
The school is also now waiting on five modular classrooms that should arrive this time next year to help with more space and hopefully get them back their full library space.
The student population has far exceeded what officials expected when the K-8 school opened in 2019.
"Space has really been becoming an issue just with the number of students moving into our community and when you do good things people want to come to your school too," said Frazier.
Elizabeth Espy has spent her entire life living in the West Valley. Her two daughters go to Belen Soto, and she's a seventh-grade reading teacher there, too.
Her family knows about change in that area firsthand.
"My family was in farming and dairying and now it's just turned into houses," Espy said. "Lots and lots of growth."
She told ABC15 that last year, her class sizes were around 35 to 37 students.
But, this year, despite widespread teacher shortages in Arizona, the school has been able to add another teacher to her team and three total to the school, reducing her class sizes this school year to around 30 students.
"We retained over 98% of our teachers," said Frazier.
As the district grows, officials are waiting to see what happens this fall as a $100 million bond goes to the ballot boxes in Maricopa County.
