DSHS Bleachers Set to Soar, Illuminating Campus Like the Desert Sun

Desert Sunrise High School in Maricopa is set to receive new bleachers in preparation for its first graduation ceremony next spring. The current stands can only accommodate about 850 spectators, but the new bleachers will expand the capacity to seat up to 2,500 people.

The project will cost $516,000, slightly higher than the initially budgeted $500,000. Phoenix-based Norcon Industries, specializing in spectator seating, has been approved as the contractor by the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board.

MUSD Chief Financial Officer Jacob Harmon stated, “It should get us to 2,500 seats, which is as big a capacity that we could get at that field.” He added that the field was initially designed for football practices, not large-scale events. For comparison, Maricopa High School can accommodate 4,000 spectators.

Jeff Chew, boasting nearly 50 years in journalism, retired in 2019 but returned to the digital newsroom after a four-year hiatus. With experience spanning large to small news publications and roles in editing and reporting in locations like Lake Havasu City and Dallas, Texas, Chew’s career also includes stints in radio and video news writing and editing. He has a background in broadcast journalism from Arizona State University.