GPS Goes “Out of This World” at the Gilbert Days Parade, with Dr. McCord as Grand Marshall
GPS Goes “Out of This World” at the Gilbert Days Parade, with Dr. McCord as Grand Marshall
Tristan Chavez
The Gilbert Days Parade has long been a tradition that brings the Gilbert community together. Started in 1957, the parade began to celebrate the paving of Gilbert Road. Fast forward to 2025 and this year’s parade held a very special meaning for Gilbert Public Schools as the Town selected Superintendent Dr. Shane McCord to serve as the parade’s Grand Marshall, leading more than 100 entries through the downtown Heritage District with families lined along Gilbert Road to cheer on our schools.
In his last year as Superintendent - and after 31 years in education, almost all in Gilbert Public Schools - being selected as Grand Marshall was special for Dr. McCord.
“It was an honor and a privilege,” he shared. “I truly love the Town of Gilbert, and the Gilbert Days Parade is a staple for Gilbert Public Schools. For me to be the Grand Marshall is a wonderful way to celebrate our community and our schools.”
Joining Dr. McCord at the front of the parade were his family and district leaders. Following them, the district’s float - designed and built by students at Desert Ridge High School - carried GPS Governing Board members, Mrs. Jill Humpherys and Mr. Jesse Brainard. Each year, one GPS high school is chosen to create a float representing all 39 Gilbert Public Schools, and this year’s students embraced the parade’s theme, “Out of this World!”
Photo by Tayler Rubio, a DRHS Sophomore
Their design featured a bright yellow school bus blasting off into the sky, inspired by The Magic School Bus book series. The students included the logos of all GPS schools on the float, with the high school logos displayed on the bus, representing GPS students as they “blast off” together into the world after graduation! Elementary schools were represented on the back of the float, representing the foundation of the district, along with a message reading, “Over the Ridge, Out of This World.”
"I am so proud of our students and the work that they put into building the float. Throughout the process, we had students from several different clubs come to help build the float, which really helped build a strong community throughout the school,” added Megan Ament, Assistant Principal at Desert Ridge High. “I felt relief when I saw the float in the parade. The students were having fun, and the float was everything we wanted it to be."
Four GPS marching bands were in the parade, representing Campo Verde High, Gilbert High, Mesquite High, and Highland High, adding music and energy to the morning. For families, the opportunity to see their students perform in front of thousands of people is part of what makes Gilbert Days special.
“It’s always exciting this time of year,” said David Baca, whose daughter is a junior in the Highland High marching band. “We just wrapped up marching band season, so the parade is a chance to celebrate that and highlight the great things our schools are doing.”
Gilbert Days, now more than 60 years strong, continues to be a celebration of community identity and connection. This year, GPS was proud to support the event and to celebrate Dr. McCord’s leadership as Grand Marshall, with each of the district’s 39 schools participating.
See below for more photos from the 2025 Gilbert Days Parade.
