Dysart Partners with Toyota of Surprise in “Drive for Excellence”

DYSART SCHOOLS - Dysart Unified School District and Toyota of Surprise are pleased to announce a “Drive for Excellence” partnership that supports education in the community for the 2026/2027 school year. The partnership is focused on providing unique educational opportunities for students, celebrating their successes, and giving them an opportunity to earn a scholarship for post-secondary education. All four district high schools are included - Dysart High School, Valley Vista High School, Shadow Ridge High School, and Willow Canyon High School.

The “Drive for Excellence” partnership involves the following: 

• $24,000 in scholarships for post secondary education - The Surprise Toyota Scholar-Athlete Award is funded by Surprise Toyota and will be given to one male and one female at each high school for higher education purposes.  This scholarship provides a total of eight $3,000 scholarships. Applications will open January 1st and close on March 1st. To apply, seniors must have a 3.3 grade point average (GPA), earn two or more varsity sports letters in a Dysart high school, participate in community service, have good attendance, citizenship, and behavior, and complete an essay question. 
• Student-led Game Day livestream shows for each high school produced on site at Toyota of Surprise - Each show focuses on students, highlighting sports teams, and groups such as the marching band, cheer and pom, and student council. Dysart Student Broadcasting (DSB Live) students produce the entire show from start to finish, including setup, making graphics, running commercials, camera work, on-camera interviews, livestreaming, and post-production work. 
• Each high school received a $1,000 donation - Principals were surprised with a giant check when the partnership was initially announced to administrators. Each school will get to decide how they want to use the funds.
• Exclusive educator discounts - Offered as a token of appreciation for Dysart Unified School District teachers and staff at Toyota of Surprise. 

The first Game Day ran on September 4 (Dysart High School), with additional shows scheduled for September 11 (Willow Canyon High School), October 30 (Shadow Ridge High School) and November 6 (Valley Vista High School). DSB Live’s event schedule, livestream and video links can be found at Dysart.org/DSBLive. 

“To be able to provide this scholarship and hands-on learning opportunity for our students is invaluable, and we are so grateful for the generosity of Toyota of Surprise,” said Dysart Schools Superintendent, Dr. John Croteau.  “This partnership is a perfect example of the great things that can happen when the community gets involved.”  

Larry Tabloff, General Manager of Toyota of Surprise said, “We are incredibly proud to support these outstanding schools and the students, educators, coaches, and families who make such a tremendous difference in the lives of our children. We believe in investing in our community and, most importantly, in the future of our students, the next generation of leaders.”

Toyota of Surprise has also generously sponsored the district’s “Attendance Matters” contest the past two years, supporting a celebration for the winning school that increased student attendance the most throughout the year.