Ironwood Ridge High School

Last updated

Ironwood Ridge High School
Location
Ironwood Ridge High School
2475 West Naranja Drive

Oro Valley, Arizona
85742

United States
Coordinates 32°24′34″N111°1′15″W / 32.40944°N 111.02083°W / 32.40944; -111.02083
Information
Type Public secondary (US)
Established2001(25 years ago) (2001)
School district Amphitheater Public Schools
CEEB code 030517
PrincipalOranté Jenkins
Staff67.30 (FTE) [1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,562 (2023–2024) [1]
Student to teacher ratio23.21 [1]
Campus size88.76 acres (35.92 ha)
Campus typeSuburban
ColorsNavy blue and silver
  
Nickname Nighthawks
NewspaperThe Iron Quill
Website www.amphi.com/IRHS
[2]

Ironwood Ridge High School is a public high school located in Oro Valley, Arizona, operated by Amphitheater Public Schools. It serves students in grades 9 through 12. The school's mascot is the nighthawk, and its colors are navy blue and silver. Ironwood Ridge opened in 2001 to address population growth in the district's northwest area. The school's name refers to the ironwood trees (the campus is also near Ironwood Forest National Monument) native to the region and its proximity to the Tortolita Mountains.

Contents

History

Planning and establishment

Amphitheater Public Schools opened its first high school, Amphitheater High School, in 1939, followed by Canyon del Oro High School in 1962. In the 1980s and 1990s, population growth in Tucson’s northwest suburbs led to overcrowding, prompting the district to seek a site for a third high school. [3] In 1994, the district purchased property near West Naranja Drive and North Shannon Road for the new school. [3]

During site preparation, construction was delayed due to environmental concerns regarding the endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy owl. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the owl as endangered in 1997, and the Defenders of Wildlife organization filed for an injunction to halt construction under the Endangered Species Act. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ultimately ruled in favor of the school district, allowing construction to proceed. [3] Ironwood Ridge High School opened in August 2001, easing overcrowding at nearby Canyon del Oro High School. [4] [5]

Governance

The school is part of the Amphitheater Public Schools district and is overseen by the district. The campus principal is Oranté Jenkins.

Feeder schools

Ironwood Ridge is fed by Richard B. Wilson K-8 School and Coronado K-8 School.

Extracurricular activities

Ironwood Ridge offers extracurricular programs in athletics, music, and academic clubs. Its student newspaper is The Iron Quill.

Athletics

Music and performing arts

The school's marching band, known as the Nighthawk Vanguard, performs at home football games and regional competitions. The ensemble has appeared at several regional and national events, including: [12] [ better source needed ]

Model United Nations

Ironwood Ridge High School sponsors a Model United Nations (MUN) program that participates in national-level conferences across the United States. The school established its own annual conference, which continues to be held each fall. [13] [ better source needed ]

Other programs

Ironwood Ridge offers a culinary arts program. [14]

Awards and recognition

In 2007, Newsweek listed Ironwood Ridge among the top 5% of U.S. public schools, one of 12 Arizona schools included in that ranking. [15]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ironwood Ridge High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ "IRHS - Administration". Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2006. Retrieved May 12, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ↑ "United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit". uscourts.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Environmental Law — Environmental Law Review — Lewis & Clark Law". Environmental Law. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ "WRESTLING: Ironwood Ridge wins D-I Championship | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". February 13, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  7. ↑ "AIA Girls Cross Country Team Champions" (PDF). Arizona Interscholastic Association. p. 5. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  8. ↑ "AIA Girls Track and Field Team Champions" (PDF). Arizona Interscholastic Association. p. 6. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  9. ↑ Star, Benjie Sanders / Arizona Daily (September 29, 2015). "2008 boys golfer of the year". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  10. ↑ Odegard, Kyle (February 29, 2008). "Marcos de Niza falls in 5A-II boys finals". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  11. ↑ "AIA Boys Tennis Team Champions" (PDF). Arizona Interscholastic Association. p. 9. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Ironwood Ridge Bands - Celebrations of Success". www.ironwoodridgebands.org. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  13. ↑ "IRMUNC XIV – Model United Nations at the Ironwood Ridge High School". irmunc.com. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  14. ↑ Schools, Amphitheater Public. "Amphitheater Public Schools". www.amphi.com. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Area high schools snag top honors" Archived July 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (broken link)
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