Goodyear High School opens with design nods to historic Phoenix Trotting Park

Goodyear City Council and city staff joined Goodyear High School leaders on Aug. 25 to mark the opening of the new Goodyear High School and to acknowledge the city's history tied to the former Phoenix Trotting Park.

The school opened about three weeks earlier and currently enrolls 440 ninth-grade students, Principal Jason Lynn said. "First and foremost, we wouldn't be here without the voters," Lynn told the council, thanking voters who approved the bond that funded the facility.

The presentation included a short video produced by the city's digital communications team tracing the site's past as the Phoenix Trotting Park, a harness-racing venue that opened in the 1960s. Several longtime residents recalled the Trotting Park's architecture and social history during remarks to the council. "The Trotting Park was designed to be a luxurious and state-of-the-art facility for its time," resident Sally Kiko said, describing elements such as multiple seating levels, a restaurant and decorative fixtures.

School leaders and city staff described how the new high school incorporates design elements paying tribute to that history. Lynn said architects carried a frame-window pattern from the Trotting Park into the school's tile design and that a rusted horseshoe found during construction will be displayed with a plaque honoring "Burzville," the horse that won the track's first race. The school also plans a small museum in the auditorium to house local artifacts.

Council members and community speakers complimented the school's architecture, technical features and security systems during a brief on-record presentation at the meeting. Councilmember Benita Beckles asked how many students were enrolled; Lynn answered there are 440 students and that registration was continuing. Councilmember Wally Terry and others emphasized the decades-long effort to bring a city-named high school to Goodyear.

The city and school district said contractors and architects involved included Chase (general contractor) and ADM Architects, and that the city assisted with permitting that enabled the project to move from groundbreaking about one year earlier to opening.

The event included presentation of a mock football helmet for the mayor and council and an invitation for the council to tour the new facility and attend upcoming events, including the school's first football game.