New elementary school in West Valley could help fix area’s student overcrowding issue

PHOENIX — Construction of a new elementary school in Litchfield Park is set to officially begin in a few weeks.

Troy Gilbert Elementary School at Perryville Road and Glendale Avenue is expected to open in August 2026.

School leaders held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday, but they are finalizing their last permit, a process that is expected to take a few weeks.

New elementary school in Litchfield Park to address overcrowding issues

Joel Canchola, a parent of future Troy Gilbert School students, hopes the new building will help solve the overcrowding issue plaguing schools west of Loop 303 have been dealing with.

“The schools in the immediate area are overpopulated and this would be a huge reliever,” he said.

Some of the schools have had to use libraries as classrooms to fit all the students.

How many students will learn at Troy Gilbert Elementary School?

Troy Gilbert Elementary School will be the district’s 17th school building. Litchfield Elementary School District Superintendent Carter Davidson said the building will hold 1,100 K-8 students.

“This is really why we do the work that we do,” Davidson said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “It’s not because of the fancy building, or the big giant machines behind me. It’s for the students.”

Lyric Reid is six years old and is excited to move to a new school with all her friends.

“I think it’s going to be, like, bigger than my old school,” she said.

The school also honors a local U.S. Air Force pilot: Maj. Troy Gilbert, who was killed in combat in Iraq on November 27, 2006. He was stationed at Luke Air Force Base.

The connection is personal for the community, according to Canchola.

“This one for us is very special being named after Troy Gilbert from Luke Air Force Base,” Canchola said. “My wife and I are both honorary commanders for Luke Air Force Base.”

Correction: A previous version of this story said construction began on Monday. The groundbreaking event was actually ceremonial. Construction is set to begin in a few weeks.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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