The Dysart Unified School District Governing Board on Tuesday approved a facility-use agreement with the City of Surprise that gives the city the right to operate a presenting program at the Vista Center for the Arts through June 30, 2031, with automatic five-year renewals unless either party terminates earlier.

The agreement, outlined to the board by Danae Marinelli, allows the city to operate a presenting program and, instead of paying rental fees, to fund agreed-upon capital improvements to the facility. "The agreement is effective upon full execution and runs through 06/30/2031," Marinelli said, adding that improvements funded by the city become district property once completed. Marinelli also said, "For the city use of the Vista, the rental rate is $6,830 per day."

Why this matters: The Vista Center, a 1,300-seat proscenium theater with a 200-seat lecture hall on the Valley Vista High School campus, was built with voter-approved bonds and is used by both students and the broader West Valley community. Under the contract, Dysart retains full control over scheduling, management and revenue from district programming and third-party rentals while the city keeps revenues generated by its presenting programs (ticket sales, concessions, sponsorships).

Key provisions Marinelli highlighted include a joint management advisory board with one representative from each party to coordinate calendars, sponsorships and capital improvements; the city providing the Vista with 25 available weekends per year (dates to be shared by July 1 of the upcoming fiscal year); and the city confirming or releasing those dates nine months in advance. The district will continue to employ the theater manager and maintain facility operations; the city will provide front-of-house and back-of-house staff for its presenting programs.

Board action: President Dunsmore moved to approve the facility-use agreement and authorize the superintendent to sign the agreement and affiliated documents; the motion was seconded and "motion carries," according to the transcript. The motion record in the meeting transcript does not include a roll-call vote tally.

What comes next: The agreement will take effect upon full execution; planned city-funded capital improvements and calendar coordination are the next operational steps. The district emphasized that the license structure does not transfer any property interest and does not change Dysart's access to the Vista for instructional or student-related purposes.

Note on sources: Details and direct quotes above come from the board meeting presentation by Danae Marinelli and the motion recorded in the meeting transcript.