Media Releases

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Jan. 24, 2025) – Nestled next to Scottsdale Ranch Park in northeast Scottsdale, Laguna Elementary School will swing its doors wide open next week for its annual, community STEAM Night.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Jan. 20, 2025) – Dismissing a label given to today’s youth as “the leaders of tomorrow,” the youngest black elected official in the nation when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2006 exhorted Valley high school students last week to embrace what civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Junior called “the fierce urgency of now.”

Best-selling author and political commentator Bakari Sellers was in Scottsdale to address Saguaro High School’s 25th annual “MLK Youth Voices” program and the city Community Celebrates Diversity organization’s 31st annual MLK Celebration Dinner.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Jan. 10, 2025) – Dr. Donna Lewis and Mike Sharkey have been elected President and Vice President, respectively, of the Scottsdale Unified School District’s Governing Board for the 2025 calendar year. The Board’s annual reorganization took place Jan. 7 at its first meeting of the new year.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 7, 2024) – Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) looks forward to meeting families from near and far at its first-ever Education Expo on November 21 at Coronado High School, located at 7501 E. Virginia Ave., Scottsdale.

From 5 – 8 p.m. that day, all 30 SUSD schools will be on hand in the main gymnasium to answer questions from community families, whether they’re new to Scottsdale, are school ‘shopping’ or previously have had students enrolled with the district.  The event is also geared toward current SUSD families, since Arizona’s open enrollment law makes it easy for their students to attend schools other than the ones to which they are assigned geographically.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Oct. 31, 2024) – Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is proud to announce that the Arizona School Administrators (ASA) organization has named Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel Arizona’s 2024-2025 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Menzel’s outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to educational excellence, student achievement, and community partnership.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Oct. 31, 2024) – For 65 years, Pima Elementary School, located at 8330 E. Osborn Rd., Scottsdale, has delivered top-notch educational opportunities to the families of its south Scottsdale neighborhood.  Since 1959, Pima has been a staple of the community, welcoming thousands of families and educating generations of their students.

Organizations of such longstanding, of course, develop traditions, and one of them is coming up next week: Pima’s annual Family Math Night.  To kick off its 65^thanniversary celebrations, Pima will open its doors next Thursday, Nov. 7 from 4:30 – 6 p.m. for an evening of fun, learning, and family and community engagement.  Non-Panther families are welcome, too!

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Oct. 28, 2024) – As schools across the country continue to grapple with the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is emerging as a leader in that recovery.

Statewide, performance by third through eighth grade students on the 2024 Arizona Academic Standards Assessments (AASA) indicates continuing challenges for many school districts. English Language Arts (ELA) results held steady from 2023, with 40% of students passing; math performance across the state dipped slightly, with 32% of students passing, compared to last year’s 34%.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Oct. 8, 2024) – Did you know that students who spend more years in Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) classrooms perform better than those who do not?  Did you know they also post higher grade point averages and score better on state tests?

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (September 11, 2024) – Coronado High School is excited to announce the launch of the Coronado Fire Science Academy on its campus, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. This innovative program is a collaborative effort between the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), the Scottsdale Fire Department, and the Scottsdale Charros, and is designed to provide students with hands-on experience and training in fire science and emergency medical services.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (August 2, 2024) – With so much information today communicated and shared widely on digital platforms, empowering students with skills to navigate the digital world safely, responsibly, and with a critical eye has become an essential element of classroom instruction.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (July 31, 2024) – In a concerted effort to enhance the safety of its students, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is launching a school bus safety campaign to coincide with the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year next week.

The campaign follows the disturbing findings of a one-day survey on May 1, 2024, that was conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS). On that day alone, 57 SUSD bus drivers reported 144 instances of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses that had their stop sign arms extended.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (July 17, 2024) – Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is pleased to welcome two new members to its leadership team.  Dr. Heather Cruz will oversee the district’s Human Resources department; Lea Mitchell will direct SUSD’s instructional and professional development programs.  Both hold the title of Assistant Superintendent.  Their appointments were confirmed by the SUSD Governing Board in June.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (July 9, 2024) – It takes a strong team of dedicated professionals to deliver the world-class, future-focused education for which Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is known, and the district is looking to add to that team at a Job Fair set for 3 – 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 17, at the district’s Mohave District Annex, 8500 E. Jackrabbit Rd., Scottsdale.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 12, 2024) – Tapping into the district’s deep pool of experienced education leaders, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Governing Board has appointed Melinda Splitek as Coronado High School’s next principal and Amy Hardy as Mountainside Middle School’s new principal.  The action was taken at the Board’s June 11 meeting.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 6, 2024) – Earlier this year, Scottsdale Unified School District’s Superintendent, Dr. Scott Menzel, was named the first recipient of the Education Research and Development Institute’s (ERDI) Resilient Leader Award. The newly established award recognizes K-12 leaders who demonstrate exceptional courage and effective leadership amidst adversity. As part of the award, Dr. Menzel was granted a full-ride, master’s level scholarship at the American College of Education to bestow upon an emerging Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) leader. In return, the scholarship’s recipient commits to work in the district for a minimum of three years following the master’s degree’s completion.