Higley Unified School District

Last updated
Higley Unified School District #60
Higley Unified School District logo.svg
Address
2935 S. Recker Rd.
Gilbert
, Arizona, 85295
United States
Coordinates 33°17′50″N111°42′11″W / 33.297223°N 111.703025°W / 33.297223; -111.703025
District information
TypePublic
MottoPreparing learners for limitless opportunities.
GradesPK-12
Established1909;115 years ago (1909)
Deputy superintendent(s)Sherry Richards
Schools16
Budgetabout $50 million
NCES District ID 0403780 [1]
Students and staff
Students13,500
Other information
Website www.husd.org

The Higley Unified School District #60 or HUSD #60, is a school district in Gilbert, Arizona. [2] The school district serves portions of Gilbert, Mesa and Queen Creek. [3] It is one of Arizona's fastest growing school districts. Continued modest growth is expected despite the downturn in the economy during the 2000s. In August 2013, the district opened two new middle schools and all other elementary schools that hosted grades K-8 went down to K-6.

Contents

About HUSD

Higley Unified School District is a rapidly growing district in the state of Arizona. It operates 2 preschools, 9 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 high schools and one virtual academy.

Higley is an open-enrollment district, which permits parents to choose a school, regardless of the individual school boundaries. The district also allows un-housed children to register for school.

The District has two administrative sites. The primary administration building is located north of Higley High School and the district's transportation center is located south of Williams Field High School.

All high schools and middle schools utilize a resource officer to help protect the school environment from disruptions and crimes.

Curriculum

All preschool classes are split into 2 classes per day, depending on the school and the time the classes start. Higley offers full day kindergarten classes at its schools. Higley's comprehensive curriculum is aligned with the Arizona Academic Standards and the new Common Core Standards. The District primarily focuses on the core standards, which are Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Higley also offers free full day kindergarten classes, technological instructions, library media services, K-8 Art, Music, and Physical Education, Character Education, and Before and After School Enrichment Programs. In Middle School, Higley offers choir, band, strings, applied technology, Spanish, and many skills for success. Along with its academic programs, Higley provides students athletic programs to encourage children to be actively fit while focusing on academics. The Middle Schools also offer early development childhood (preschool) services. Higley Unified School often tries new academic programs and standards not yet passed or effective in the state to allow students to get used to the new curriculum and align it in the future. [4]

History

The Higley district was incorporated in 1909 with a territory far larger than its current size, with most of the district land transferred to other Valley school districts over the years. For instance, the Queen Creek Unified School District was carved out of the Higley district in 1947. [5] Higley Elementary School was the only school in the district for the next 53 years. The district's high school students attended Gilbert Public Schools' high schools. As the Valley expanded, Larry Likes, then-superintendent of the district, guided it through an era of suburban expansion engulfing local farmland. The growth of the 1990s and 2000s caught up to the district's 24-square-mile (62 km2) service area. In 1999, the district legally unified; in 2000, it opened Coronado Elementary School, its first new school in decades; in 2001, Higley High School opened its doors; four years later, Gateway Pointe Elementary School debuted, then a year later, Cortina Elementary School opened; another year later, further growth induced the opening of Williams Field High School. In the spring of 2008, Higley became the first district in Arizona to receive K-12 accreditation by the AdvancED/North Central Accreditation Team. Graduating Higley seniors were offered $2.7 million in academic and athletic scholarships. [6]

In early 2011, Higley had more than 10,000 students in the district. [7]

The district opened two middle schools (Cooley Middle School and Sossaman Middle School) to better prepare 7th and 8th grade students for high school and to alleviate projected capacity issues at its elementary schools.

District Website

The Higley Unified School District website is https://www.husd.org/.

Users can access the latest news, events, information pertaining to schools, enrollment, career opportunities, and more.

Statistics and Demographics (2024-2025)

Higley Center for the Performing Arts

The District built the HCPA and opened in spring of 2006. The HCPA has a large concert hall, seating 1,235 people and a little theatre, able to sit 186 people. Over 500 productions are yearly shown in the building. It is located adjacent to the Higley High School, and schools throughout the district use it to show major assemblies or guest speakers. [8]

Transportation

Transportation of students from the various schools throughout the district is provided by the District's transportation crew. They currently have 63 School Buses and 53 Support Vehicles. The district mandates that all students taking a field trip must be approved by parents. The district also provides transportation for students to and from school. Any student who lives within one mile from the school they go to, although, does not have transportation, and will have to transport themselves to and from school. To better balance all the school bus use to transport students to and from school, the district changed the school bell times to help align the high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools so as to not cause traffic.

Schools

Preschools

PreschoolsMascotAddressDirector
(2024-2025)		Assistant Director
(2024-2025)		Established
Cooley Early Childhood Development Center (Home)Cougars1100 S. Recker Rd. Gilbert, AZ, 85296Amy KochisMarsha Hofstetter2013
Sossaman Early Childhood Development Center (Home)Spartans18655 E. Jacaranda Blvd. Queen Creek, AZ, 85142

Elementary schools (grades K-6)

Elementary SchoolsMascotAddressPrincipal
(2024-2025)		Assistant Principal
(2024-2025)		Established
Bridges Elementary (Home)Bobcats5205 S. Soboba St., Gilbert, AZJeff BeickelElizabeth Melter2016
Centennial Elementary (Home)Cardinals3507 S. Ranch House Pkwy, Gilbert, AZ 85297Amanda DayEric Rogers2009
Chaparral Elementary (Home)Sharks338 E. Frye Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85295Kristine HansonTerry Peper2007
Coronado Elementary (Home)Coyotes4333 S. De Anza Blvd. Gilbert, AZ 85297Brian GriggsAlice Sortini2000
Cortina Elementary (Home)Tigers19680 S. 188th St. Queen Creek, AZ 85242Kelly PapkeChrissy DeBono2006
Gateway Pointe Elementary (Home)Gators2069 S. De La Torre Dr. Gilbert, AZ 85295Kaity HarrisAngie Walker2005
Higley Traditional Academy (Home)Hawks3391 E. Vest Ave. Gilbert, AZ 85295Caryn BaconMandy Bachali1909
Power Ranch (Home)Panthers351 S. Ranch House Pkwy. Gilbert, AZ 85297Michelle McNabbNicole McCullough2003
San Tan (Home)Scorpions3443 E. Calistoga Dr. Gilbert, AZ 85297Ray MercadoLyndsey Reeves2001

Middle schools (grades 7-8)

Middle SchoolsMascotAddressPrincipal
(2024-2025)		Assistant Principal
(2024-2025)		Established
Cooley Middle School (Home)Cougars1100 S. Recker Rd. Gilbert, AZ, 85296Chad CantrellLuiza Schwartz2013
Sossaman Middle School (Home)Spartans18655 E. Jacaranda Blvd. Queen Creek, AZ, 85142Bruce PottsBrandon Keeling

High schools (grades 9-12)

High SchoolsMascotAddressPrincipal
(2024-2025)		Assistant Principals (2024-2025)Established
Higley High School (Home)Knights4068 E. Pecos Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85295Alan FieldsAaron Dille, Brian Banach, Pamela Simmons, Sean Casey2001
Williams Field High School (Home)Black Hawks2076 S. Higley Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85295John DolanDarrell Stangle, Heather Wallace, Shana Lacerenza, Brent Brandenburg2007

Virtual academy (grades K-12)

Virtual SchoolsMascotPrincipal
(2024-2025)		Established
Higley Virtual Academy (Home)VipersTommie Byrd2020

Awards

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Higley Unified School District (4248)". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved 2020-12-24.
  2. ↑ "Home." Higley Unified School District. Retrieved on April 10, 2011. "2935 South Recker Road • Gilbert, AZ, 85295"
  3. ↑ https://statisticalatlas.com/school-district/Arizona/Higley-Unified-District/Overview
  4. ↑ unknown (August 2013). "Higley Curriculum". Higley Unified School District. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  5. ↑ The district's old history page (Wayback Archive)
  6. ↑ Higley Community Newsletter, September 2008
  7. ↑ Hayley Ringle (11 February 2011). "Higley school district still growing, now has more than 10,000 students". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  8. ↑ "HCPA Technical Specifications" (PDF). Higley Unified School District. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
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