Message from Our Superintendent
Superintendent’s Message
Dear Altar Valley Families,
Celebrating the Altar Valley Class of 2030
May is always a season of celebration in the Altar Valley School District, and celebrating our 8th graders is always extra special. As our Altar Valley Middle School All-Stars gathered to celebrate taking their next big step into high school, I couldn’t help but look back to where it all began.
For some of our promoted 8th graders, their educational journey began right here in our kindergarten classrooms. For many others, the foundation was built even earlier in preschool. Thinking about those early years reminded me of how Altar Valley is blessed with amazing community partnerships that work alongside us to ensure our students are supported, encouraged, and prepared for success from the very beginning.
Through the vital support of First Things First FTF and Pima Early Education Program Scholarships PEEPS funded preschool, our youngest learners get the best possible start. That village extends to the United Way, which also generously supports our Family Resource Center, and Quality First, whose dedicated coaching and oversight ensure our programs maintain the highest standards of excellence.
As our new high schoolers prepare to step onto a brand-new map, we want to challenge them to hold fast to the simple, foundational truths they learned right here in Altar Valley. In the book, All I really need to know learned in kindergarten, Fulghum wrote:
- Share everything and play fair. High school competition gets tougher, but the most successful people aren’t those who climb over others to get ahead. True leaders are those who collaborate, lift others up, and treat everyone with respect.
- Clean up your own mess. With more freedom comes more independence—and more responsibility. When you make mistakes (as we all do), own them, learn from them, fix them, and keep moving forward.
- Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Having the courage to look someone in the eye and say, “I messed up,” is one of the greatest signs of maturity and leadership.\
- Live a balanced life. Learn some, think some, draw, paint, sing, dance, play, and work every day.
High school will demand a lot from our students academically, socially, and emotionally. We want them to work hard and challenge themselves, but never lose that sense of wonder, creativity, and joy they had when they were four or five years old.
To the Altar Valley All-Star Eagle Class of 2030, remember: When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Look out for one another, support one another, and always be kind.
Altar Valley is so incredibly proud of you. We cannot wait to see where your journey takes you next!
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.