Staff Reports | Community Updates
Hohokam, Navajo and Pueblo Elementary schools are the latest Scottsdale Unified School District schools to be named Arizona Educational Foundation A+ Schools of Excellence.
SUSD schools have a long tradition of pursuing the Phoenix-based educational organization’s prestigious A+ certification that annually recognizes the state’s very best public schools, according to a press release.
For Hohokam, 8451 E. Oak Street, in SUSD’s Coronado Learning Community, it is the school’s second A+ award – the first came in 2016.
Principal Chuck Rantala, who retires at the end of the school year, said it was important to his staff and him that the school he has led for the past dozen years is recognized as the excelling, special place that it is and will continue to be.
“This is a testament to the collective efforts of a dedicated committee and the unwavering support of the entire Hohokam community,” Mr. Rantala explained in a prepared statement.
“This recognition reflects our shared commitment to fostering academic excellence, innovation, and a nurturing learning environment for every student. It’s going to foster a sense of pride among students, staff, and parents, reinforcing the shared commitment to continuous improvement and excellence.”
A little more than 2 miles to the north, at 4525 N. Granite Reef Road, Navajo Elementary is also celebrating its second A+ designation, SUSD officials report.
Principal Matt Patzlaff said that until last year, some things had been in the way of undertaking the intense and rigorous application process.
“We have considered applying for this for the last couple of years but with the August 2018 fire, our resulting re-build and our Cognia STEM accreditation, the timing was not right,” Principal Patzlaff said. “If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it right.”
There is little doubt that Navajo got it right.
“The A+ School of Excellence award helps validate all of the amazing things occurring on our campus and within our community,” Mr. Patzlaff clarified. “Everyone involved in the Navajo Learning Community puts kids first every single day, and our application showcased just how exceptional all of our stakeholders truly are and our determination to be even better.”
Another two miles north, at Pueblo Elementary School, 6320 N. 82nd St., Principal Shelley Hummon and her staff and students are celebrating their school’s A+ renewal. There was never any doubt that Pueblo would try to renew its A+ certification.
“Our school earned this distinction for the first time in 2020, and our team was super excited and on-board to go for it again,” Hummon shared, involving teachers, staff, and parents volunteering their time last summer to complete the application, which was due in August.
“It is a lot of work, and it takes a full-team effort, but we’ve gotten so much out of it,” Principal Hummon said. “Back in 2020, during the A+ process, we uncovered some areas of refinement where we could improve our programs. This time around, we were proud to be able to show the results of our having successfully implemented those enhancements.”
SUSD’s highly acclaimed Spanish Dual Language Immersion program begins at Pueblo.
“The work of these schools, with their strong staff and leadership teams and the support they receive from their students’ families and communities, is simply outstanding,” said SUSD’s superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel. “This is what SUSD is all about, and to see this trio of schools recognized by such a distinguished organization as the Arizona Educational Foundation is such a great credit to their ongoing, consistent commitment to excellence. We couldn’t be more proud.”
Hohokam, Navajo and Pueblo join Cherokee and Desert Canyon Elementary schools as SUSD A+ Schools of Excellence.
