Message from Our Superintendent
Superintendent’s Message
Stay focused, pull the weeds, and keep growing!
Dear Altar Valley Families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Holiday and a Happy Easter! I enjoyed some great time with my family—always a good reminder of what matters most.
Recently, I finished reading The Seed by Jon Gordon. It’s a short but powerful story about a man who feels lost and discouraged, only to discover that each of us carries a “seed” within us—our purpose. With belief, care, and consistent effort, that seed can grow into something meaningful.
That message stuck with me. Lately, I’ve been thinking about a simple question: Are my daily actions aligned with what matters most?
One of my favorite parts of the day is talking with my daughter—one of my most important “seeds.” We talk about what excites her, what she enjoys, and what she wants to do, her seed. That’s the fun part. The harder part is the reminder that growth takes time. Seeds don’t grow overnight, and along the way, weeds—negativity and distractions—can get in the way.
My role, both as a dad and as your superintendent, is to help keep the focus on what matters most—growing the seed, pulling the weeds, and staying consistent with the daily actions that lead to growth.
As we head into this final month of the school year, my message is simple: keep it simple, stay focused, and do the little things well every day to keep your seed growing.
At Altar Valley, we stay grounded in who we are:
Vision
Altar Valley builds relationships with students, staff, and community, ensuring growth and success.
Mission
We provide a safe environment where all flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.
We Value:
- Equitable opportunities for all
- Academic growth
- High expectations
- Community collaboration
- Well-rounded lifelong learners
Let’s keep planting our seeds, growing, and getting better—every day.
Stay focused, pull the weeds, and keep growing!
Dr. Dave Dumon
Superintendent
Altar Valley School District
ddumon@avsd.org
520-822-1484
#AllStarsRead
DR. DAVID DUMON COMPLETES AASA NATIONAL SUPERINTENDENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) selected 30 superintendents from across Arizona to participate in the National Board Certification Program, a 20-month professional experience designed to bolster the effectiveness of superintendents across the nation. The program followed a cohort model and supported leaders with the knowledge, skills, and practices to advance, guide and support superintendents to be future-ready as they enhance learning opportunities for students. The AASA National Superintendent Certification Program provided a real-time focus on key issues that superintendents are facing today. Congratulations, Dr. Dumon!
CONGRATULATIONS, DR. DUMON!
Congratulations to Dr. David Dumon for being selected to receive ASA’s All Arizona Superintendent Award for the Small Size School Districts.
Dr. Dumon is superintendent of the Altar Valley School District in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Dumon and the Governing Board have developed a strong rapport that centers on common goals around students achievement and an understanding that the schools are social and cultural anchors in the small community of Three Points. Within the first year, he and his board created a strategic plan that focused on students achieving both personal and academic excellence. The strategic plan has guided the district toward their goals and is revisited frequently with stakeholders.
Dr. Dumon identified, adopted, and implemented a comprehensive core reading program during the beginning of his tenure. He led the restructuring of the K–8 literacy instruction to include rigorous Tier I instruction and targeted Tier II and Tier III interventions.
He is involved with professional development, instructional coaching, and implementation of DIBELS benchmark screening for teachers and administrators. He believes data should be used to guide teaching, learning, and professional development.
The district is a key partner in the annual Three Points Community Festival where Dr. Dumon serves on the planning committee. At this annual event, the Three Points community, a rural, unincorporated area 25 miles west of Tucson come together. Board members, staff, and community partners come together each Thanksgiving to cook, serve, and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner for families in need. During the pandemic Altar Valley School District partnered with Pima County and provided fresh food boxes to more than 30 families each month.
He is guided by the word of Lewis Carroll, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Dr. Dumon cares deeply about teaching and learning. He appreciates school isn’t easy for everyone (him included) and that each child has a right to quality instruction. He visits classrooms, playgrounds, and attends extra-curricular events and enjoys taking on the role of motivator-in-chief. You may see him as Professor “Dumon”-dore from Harry Potter, reminding Altar Valley School District students that they have the magic within them to succeed, the Last Jedi inspiring students to find the force within themselves to achieve, or putting the “Super” in Superintendent as Altar Valley Man.
Altar Valley School District is a social and cultural anchor in the Three Points community. It serves nearly 600 students, encompassing nearly 700 square miles of high Sonoran Desert and mountains situated between metro Tucson and the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Meet Our Superintendent
Dr. David Dumon serves as the superintendent of Altar Valley School District. He began his career in 1995 as a social studies teacher at Alhambra School District in Phoenix. In 2000, Dr. Dumon started his administrative career at Surprise Elementary, a K–8 school, in Dysart Unified School District. He spent the next 14 years in Dysart, most of which was as the principal at Surprise Elementary. His school’s achievements were recognized in 2012 when he was selected for the Arizona School Administrator, Distinguished Administrator Award – Elementary Division and honored as a finalist for the Rodel Exemplary Principal Award.
As superintendent of Altar Valley, Dr. Dumon has focused on ensuring schools run efficiently and allocating resources appropriately, while always considering what is best for kids. Dr. Dumon is committed to maintaining small class sizes and offering free, full-day pre-school and kindergarten. In 2022, Dr. Dumon was awarded the All Arizona Superintendent Award for Small Districts and completed his certification for American Association for School Administrators (AASA) National Superintendent Certification.
Dr. Dumon is a three-time graduate of Arizona State University where he received his bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees. He lives in Tucson with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.