From the moment students walk on campus they start to notice all the major and minor improvements to the school. Principal Antonio Acuña is making his mark both inside and out. With all the improvements the school looks nicer and cleaner, it is almost  a school make-over.

“From the start I realized the school was very different from the look of it to the atmosphere, you can tell just by looking at the school that we take a lot of pride in what we do. I think the changes are something we’ve really needed for a long time now,” junior Miriam Espinoza said.

Some of the more recent changes include a retiled wall at the school entrance, refurbished garden and a rockscaped front area. Improvements for the coming year are being planned as well.

“We want to retile the foyer area because the flag girls they hit the floor a lot so we want replace that, another thing we’re working on is seeing if we can actually replace the  theater and make it so more students can fit in there,” principal Antonio Acuña said.

Some students see the school as more than just a school.

“Del Valle has become a better place for most of us here. I truly think that these changes make the school feel like a more positive, unique place to be and I can gladly call this place a great place to be,” junior Ihsahn Meraz said.

A school is in many ways defined by its students and staff.

“I think as it is our students have a lot of pride in our school but when people drive by and say you know that’s a beautiful school it’s clean from the inside. It’s clean from the outside so as parents and as students it builds pride in you,”Acuña said.

Students can look forward to more changes, but no matter what the school looks like the lasting impression is important.

“We want to build the tradition that maybe later on when the students graduate and they have their jobs they want to send their kids to our school. That’s happening a lot now, people go to college and they get married and have a family, but no matter where they live they still bring their children here,” Acuña said.