Phoenix Union High School District
Encyclopedia
The Phoenix Union High School District is a school district
based in Phoenix
, Arizona
, United States
. It is one of the state's oldest school districts and its largest high school-only district, serving 26,000 students in 17 schools and employing more than 2,800 people. Areas served by the district mostly include central Phoenix, south Phoenix, and Laveen
; a variety of other school districts serve the remaining portions of the city. The district has 13 different elementary feeder school districts in its service area.
It is also one of the most diverse districts in the state; over 60 languages are represented, and more than half of district students come from homes where English is not the primary language. Latino students represent over 75 percent of the enrollment, and the district currently has the largest enrollment of African American students in the state.
, opened in 1895 with four classrooms and 90 students. The second high school in the district opened its doors in 1926, when Phoenix Union Colored High School
opened, and by 1939, North High School
was operating with 1,500 students and continued growth on the way, as Phoenix Union's enrollment hit more than 5,000 students.
From 1949 to 1972, the meteoric growth of the Phoenix metropolitan area produced overcrowding (Phoenix Union set the all-time Arizona enrollment record in the 1963-64 school year, with 6,320 students) and most of the district's new schools. West
opened to end the 1940s, followed by Carl Hayden
in 1950; Camelback
and South Mountain
both were founded in 1954; 1957 brought Central
; in 1962, East
opened; 1963 saw the establishment of Maryvale
; and the first growth boom closed out in 1964 with Alhambra
. Trevor G. Browne High School
was the last of the Phoenix comprehensive high schools to start up, doing so in 1972. This period saw one school closure, with the now-renamed Carver High School being closed upon the integration of schools in Arizona, and the Bostrom and Desiderata special-needs schools opening in the 1970s.
Then the Baby Boom ended, and white flight in Phoenix reversed the trend. It took just one decade to bring Phoenix Union from its 6,000-student days to a mere 1,800. Similar drops in the late 1970s and early 1980s coupled with budget issues forced the district's hand in closures. West, East, Phoenix Union (by now a 1,200-student school), and North all closed. (North reopened in 1984 due to a lawsuit, Castro v. Phoenix Union High School District, related to inner-city education.) West later was repurposed as the new vocationally-oriented Metro Tech High School
in 1985.
The growth of Laveen
, part of the Phoenix Union district, led to two more comprehensive high schools opening. César Chávez High School opened as the first new high school in 27 years in 1999. Betty H. Fairfax High School
, named after a longtime educator in the district, opened in 2007.
More small schools also opened in the 2000s, as a unique partnership of businesses and the district created the Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy
, an alternative school for at-risk youth, which moved into its new building in January 2002. Phoenix Union Cyber High School
, since folded, opened in 2006, and Bioscience High School
also opened the same year. Franklin Police and Fire High School
, a first-of-its-kind public safety-oriented school, began operations in 2007.
33.5023279°N 112.0747251°W
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
based in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is one of the state's oldest school districts and its largest high school-only district, serving 26,000 students in 17 schools and employing more than 2,800 people. Areas served by the district mostly include central Phoenix, south Phoenix, and Laveen
Laveen, Arizona
Laveen is a suburban community in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, situated eight miles southwest of Downtown Phoenix near the confluence of the Gila and Salt rivers. Parts of Laveen constitute an unincorporated area in Maricopa County, while the remainder falls within the city limits of...
; a variety of other school districts serve the remaining portions of the city. The district has 13 different elementary feeder school districts in its service area.
It is also one of the most diverse districts in the state; over 60 languages are represented, and more than half of district students come from homes where English is not the primary language. Latino students represent over 75 percent of the enrollment, and the district currently has the largest enrollment of African American students in the state.
History
The district traces its roots to the historic Phoenix Union High SchoolPhoenix Union High School
Phoenix Union High School was the main high school for Phoenix, Arizona, at 7th Street and Van Buren Avenue. It closed in 1982 amidst declining enrollment, along with East High School and West High School. It is the namesake of the still-extant Phoenix Union High School District.The mascot was the...
, opened in 1895 with four classrooms and 90 students. The second high school in the district opened its doors in 1926, when Phoenix Union Colored High School
Carver High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
Carver High School, formerly known as Phoenix Union Colored High School and as George Washington Carver High School, is a former school in Phoenix, Arizona that served African-American students until the integration of schools in 1954...
opened, and by 1939, North High School
North High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
North High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 1101 East Thomas Road north of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. North’s enrollment is 2600 students. The school predominantly serves students from partner elementary districts Madison, Osborn, Creighton...
was operating with 1,500 students and continued growth on the way, as Phoenix Union's enrollment hit more than 5,000 students.
From 1949 to 1972, the meteoric growth of the Phoenix metropolitan area produced overcrowding (Phoenix Union set the all-time Arizona enrollment record in the 1963-64 school year, with 6,320 students) and most of the district's new schools. West
West High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
West High School was the high school for the western portion of Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1949 and closed in 1983 amidst declining enrollment. The mascot was the Thunderbirds; colors were maroon and white.-History:...
opened to end the 1940s, followed by Carl Hayden
Carl Hayden High School
Carl T. Hayden Community High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 3333 W. Roosevelt Street just west of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Carl Hayden’s enrollment is 2,249 students, over 90 percent of whom are Hispanic...
in 1950; Camelback
Camelback High School
Camelback High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 4612 North 28th Street, northeast of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Camelback’s enrollment is 2,000 students, over 75 percent of whom are Hispanic...
and South Mountain
South Mountain High School
South Mountain High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 5401 South 7th Street in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. South Mountain’s enrollment is 2000 students...
both were founded in 1954; 1957 brought Central
Central High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
Central High School is a high school in the Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.The campus is located at 4525 North Central Avenue, just north of downtown. Central’s enrollment is 2315 students. Over 60 percent of the population is Hispanic...
; in 1962, East
East High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
East High School was the high school for east Phoenix, Arizona, on 48th Street near Roosevelt Street. It opened in the fall of 1964 and closed in 1982 amidst sharply declining enrollment.-History:...
opened; 1963 saw the establishment of Maryvale
Maryvale High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
Maryvale High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 3415 North 59th Avenue northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Maryvale’s enrollment is 2624 students, over 90 percent of whom are Hispanic...
; and the first growth boom closed out in 1964 with Alhambra
Alhambra High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
Alhambra High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 3839 West Camelback Road, northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Alhambra's enrollment is 2900 students, just under 80 percent of whom are Hispanic...
. Trevor G. Browne High School
Trevor G. Browne High School
Trevor G. Browne High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 7402 West Catalina Drive, northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Trevor Browne's enrollment is 2,887 students, over 80 percent of whom are Hispanic...
was the last of the Phoenix comprehensive high schools to start up, doing so in 1972. This period saw one school closure, with the now-renamed Carver High School being closed upon the integration of schools in Arizona, and the Bostrom and Desiderata special-needs schools opening in the 1970s.
Then the Baby Boom ended, and white flight in Phoenix reversed the trend. It took just one decade to bring Phoenix Union from its 6,000-student days to a mere 1,800. Similar drops in the late 1970s and early 1980s coupled with budget issues forced the district's hand in closures. West, East, Phoenix Union (by now a 1,200-student school), and North all closed. (North reopened in 1984 due to a lawsuit, Castro v. Phoenix Union High School District, related to inner-city education.) West later was repurposed as the new vocationally-oriented Metro Tech High School
Metro Tech High School
Metro Tech High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 1900 West Thomas Road in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Metro Tech’s enrollment is 1409 students, over 90 percent of whom are Hispanic. Metro Tech High School, a magnet high school, combines the academic...
in 1985.
The growth of Laveen
Laveen, Arizona
Laveen is a suburban community in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, situated eight miles southwest of Downtown Phoenix near the confluence of the Gila and Salt rivers. Parts of Laveen constitute an unincorporated area in Maricopa County, while the remainder falls within the city limits of...
, part of the Phoenix Union district, led to two more comprehensive high schools opening. César Chávez High School opened as the first new high school in 27 years in 1999. Betty H. Fairfax High School
Betty H. Fairfax High School
Betty H. Fairfax is a high school in the Phoenix Union High School District, Laveen, Arizona, USA.The campus is located at 8225 South 59th Avenue in Laveen, Arizona. Fairfax’s enrollment is 1,833 students...
, named after a longtime educator in the district, opened in 2007.
More small schools also opened in the 2000s, as a unique partnership of businesses and the district created the Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy
Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy
Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus was originally located at 1505 North Central Avenue, in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Suns-Diamondbacks' enrollment is 186 students...
, an alternative school for at-risk youth, which moved into its new building in January 2002. Phoenix Union Cyber High School
Phoenix Union Cyber High School
Cyber High School closed in 2010 and became a program at Camelback High School.*...
, since folded, opened in 2006, and Bioscience High School
Phoenix Union Bioscience High School
Phoenix Union Bioscience High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Bioscience's enrollment is 180 students...
also opened the same year. Franklin Police and Fire High School
Franklin Police and Fire High School
Franklin Police and Fire High School is a high school in the Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The campus is located at 1645 West McDowell Road, in Phoenix, Arizona. Franklin’s enrollment is 280 students and hosts 9-12 graders...
, a first-of-its-kind public safety-oriented school, began operations in 2007.
Comprehensive schools
- Alhambra High SchoolAlhambra High School (Phoenix, Arizona)Alhambra High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 3839 West Camelback Road, northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Alhambra's enrollment is 2900 students, just under 80 percent of whom are Hispanic...
- Trevor G. Browne High SchoolTrevor G. Browne High SchoolTrevor G. Browne High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 7402 West Catalina Drive, northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Trevor Browne's enrollment is 2,887 students, over 80 percent of whom are Hispanic...
- Camelback High SchoolCamelback High SchoolCamelback High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 4612 North 28th Street, northeast of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Camelback’s enrollment is 2,000 students, over 75 percent of whom are Hispanic...
- Central High SchoolCentral High School (Phoenix, Arizona)Central High School is a high school in the Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.The campus is located at 4525 North Central Avenue, just north of downtown. Central’s enrollment is 2315 students. Over 60 percent of the population is Hispanic...
- César Chávez High School
- Betty H. Fairfax High SchoolBetty H. Fairfax High SchoolBetty H. Fairfax is a high school in the Phoenix Union High School District, Laveen, Arizona, USA.The campus is located at 8225 South 59th Avenue in Laveen, Arizona. Fairfax’s enrollment is 1,833 students...
- Carl Hayden High SchoolCarl Hayden High SchoolCarl T. Hayden Community High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 3333 W. Roosevelt Street just west of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Carl Hayden’s enrollment is 2,249 students, over 90 percent of whom are Hispanic...
- Maryvale High SchoolMaryvale High School (Phoenix, Arizona)Maryvale High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 3415 North 59th Avenue northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Maryvale’s enrollment is 2624 students, over 90 percent of whom are Hispanic...
- North High SchoolNorth High School (Phoenix, Arizona)North High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 1101 East Thomas Road north of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. North’s enrollment is 2600 students. The school predominantly serves students from partner elementary districts Madison, Osborn, Creighton...
- South Mountain High SchoolSouth Mountain High SchoolSouth Mountain High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 5401 South 7th Street in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. South Mountain’s enrollment is 2000 students...
- Metro Tech High SchoolMetro Tech High SchoolMetro Tech High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 1900 West Thomas Road in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Metro Tech’s enrollment is 1409 students, over 90 percent of whom are Hispanic. Metro Tech High School, a magnet high school, combines the academic...
Small and alternative schools
- Bostrom High SchoolBostrom High SchoolEstablished in 1976 Bostrom High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 3535 North 27th Avenue, northwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The enrollment is 375 students, grades 10-12.-Facts:...
- Desiderata ProgramDesiderata ProgramDesiderata Program is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located at 2920 North 34th Drive, in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Desiderata's enrollment is 21 students. Desiderata serves the needs of students with severe behavior problems & emotional disabilities...
- Suns-Diamondbacks Education AcademySuns-Diamondbacks Education AcademySuns-Diamondbacks Education Academy is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus was originally located at 1505 North Central Avenue, in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Suns-Diamondbacks' enrollment is 186 students...
- Phoenix Union Bioscience High SchoolPhoenix Union Bioscience High SchoolPhoenix Union Bioscience High School is part of the Phoenix Union High School District. The campus is located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Bioscience's enrollment is 180 students...
- Franklin Police and Fire High SchoolFranklin Police and Fire High SchoolFranklin Police and Fire High School is a high school in the Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The campus is located at 1645 West McDowell Road, in Phoenix, Arizona. Franklin’s enrollment is 280 students and hosts 9-12 graders...
Closed
- Carver High SchoolCarver High School (Phoenix, Arizona)Carver High School, formerly known as Phoenix Union Colored High School and as George Washington Carver High School, is a former school in Phoenix, Arizona that served African-American students until the integration of schools in 1954...
- East High SchoolEast High School (Phoenix, Arizona)East High School was the high school for east Phoenix, Arizona, on 48th Street near Roosevelt Street. It opened in the fall of 1964 and closed in 1982 amidst sharply declining enrollment.-History:...
- Phoenix Union High SchoolPhoenix Union High SchoolPhoenix Union High School was the main high school for Phoenix, Arizona, at 7th Street and Van Buren Avenue. It closed in 1982 amidst declining enrollment, along with East High School and West High School. It is the namesake of the still-extant Phoenix Union High School District.The mascot was the...
- Phoenix Union Cyber High SchoolPhoenix Union Cyber High SchoolCyber High School closed in 2010 and became a program at Camelback High School.*...
- West High SchoolWest High School (Phoenix, Arizona)West High School was the high school for the western portion of Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1949 and closed in 1983 amidst declining enrollment. The mascot was the Thunderbirds; colors were maroon and white.-History:...
Feeder elementary school districts
- Alhambra Elementary School DistrictAlhambra Elementary School DistrictAlhambra Elementary School District provides education for more than 14,000 students in the Phoenix and Glendale areas of Arizona. Alhambra has 15 schools. These schools educate students from kindergarten to eighth grade....
- Balsz Elementary School DistrictBalsz Elementary School DistrictThe Balsz Elementary School District is a school district in Phoenix, Arizona that includes five schools, which are:Balsz Elementary School, established as a one-room school house in 1888; Griffith Elementary School, built in 1951;...
- Cartwright Elementary School DistrictCartwright Elementary School DistrictCartwright Elementary School District is a school district in Phoenix, Arizona, United States which operates several elementary and middle schools.-External links:*...
- Creighton Elementary School DistrictCreighton Elementary School DistrictCreighton Elementary School District is a K-8 school district based in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.Founded in 1884, the boundaries of Creighton Elementary School District lie within East-Central Phoenix. Its main office is located at 2702 East Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ ...
- Isaac Elementary School DistrictIsaac Elementary School DistrictThe Isaac Elementary School District is a K-8 school district in Phoenix, Arizona. It operates six K-5 schools, three K-8 schools, and one 6-8 school....
- Laveen Elementary School DistrictLaveen Elementary School DistrictThe Laveen Elementary School District is the K-8 school district for Laveen, an area of southwest Phoenix, Arizona. It operates six schools. The superintendent is Dr. Bill Johnson.-Schools:*Cheatham Elementary *Desert Meadows...
- Madison Elementary School DistrictMadison Elementary School DistrictThe Madison Elementary School District is an elementary school district in Phoenix, Arizona. It operates eight schools....
- Murphy Elementary School DistrictMurphy Elementary School DistrictThe Murphy Elementary School District is an elementary school district in Phoenix, Arizona. It operates four schools....
- Osborn Elementary School DistrictOsborn Elementary School DistrictThe Osborn Elementary School District is an elementary school district in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded in 1879....
- Phoenix Elementary School DistrictPhoenix Elementary School DistrictThe Phoenix Elementary School District is the oldest school district in Phoenix, Arizona. It was established in 1871. The superintendent is Myriam Roa.-Elementary schools:*Bethune*Capitol*Dunbar*Edison*Emerson*Faith North*Garfield*Heard*Herrera...
- Riverside Elementary School DistrictRiverside Elementary School DistrictRiverside Elementary School District #2 is an elementary school district in the southwestern region of Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1872, the Riverside School District is one of the oldest school districts in Phoenix...
- Roosevelt Elementary School DistrictRoosevelt Elementary School DistrictThe Roosevelt Elementary School District sits in the Phoenix, Arizona area. It has 21 schools.-History:The Roosevelt School District #66 was established in Phoenix Arizona in 1912...
- Wilson Elementary School DistrictWilson Elementary School DistrictThe Wilson Elementary School District is a small elementary school district in Phoenix, Arizona. It operates a K-3 primary school and a 4-8 elementary school....
External links
33.5023279°N 112.0747251°W