Among the rich mountain vistas and the graceful playas, Cochise County offers a wide variety of educational opportunities when it comes to public, private and charter schools.
In total, Cochise County has 18 public school districts, two charter schools, and two private schools according to the Cochise County Superintendent’s web page. Over the past year, we’ve talked with our local school officials about all things education in Cochise County.
Enrollment
According to the Arizona Department of Education’s Oct. 1, 2021, report, Cochise County has a total of 17,812 students enrolle.
Of those 17,812 students, approximately 55% are Hispanic/Latino, 35% are white, 3% are Black/African American, 0.8% are Asian, 0.5% are Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 0.5% are Native American.
In the Sierra Vista Unified School District, 4,898 students were enrolled as of Dec. 1, 2021. Douglas Unified School District has 3,828 students.
Benson Unified School District has 1,214 students according to the ADE. In the Willcox Unified School District, 1,021 students are enrolled.
Tombstone Unified School District has 872 students. Bisbee Unified School District has 637 students.
“Public schools provide the most services for students and are the only option that has local governance,” said Bisbee Superintendent Tom Woody in an email. “Public schools also are the only ones that accept all students and are not run for a profit by a private company or group.”
Veritas Christian Community School — one of the private schools in the county — has a total of 130 students in their K-12 program. Head of School Jason Tinney said class sizes range from 10-12 students.
“I think the educational model needs to fit the goal of the parent,” said Tinney. “And I would like to see that our parents have a firm control on what their students are learning and how they are educated. It’s not possible necessarily for every family to homeschool — to have complete control of that. So, then the goal becomes to find a school that aligns with your family’s values and the educational model your family wants for the students. I think that if that’s important to you, that you seek that out and that you put your student in that school.”
Over at Berean Academy — a public charter school in Sierra Vista — 450 students are enrolled. Berean Principal Lisa Metz said that one of the perks of a charter school is smaller class sizes.
“The No. 1 thing our families have said for over 20 years is that smaller schools are more family, you’re not just a number,” said Metz. “We know everybody’s name here, everybody is a family here. It’s small, and we can maintain that. I wouldn’t change that for the world.”
Statewide test scores
In 2021, Cochise County had a 23% pass rate in the AZM2 statewide assessments for math, and 33% for ELA, English language arts.
Sierra Vista Unified School District had a 39% pass rate for all students in ELA and 26% in math.
Douglas Unified School District had a 23% pass rate for ELA and a 9% passed for math. Bisbee Unified has 19% passing in ELA and 10% in math.
In Benson, 39% passed in ELA and 28% in math. Tombstone Unified has a 30% pass rate for ELA and 21% for math. In the Willcox Unified School District, 28% passed ELA assessments and 25% passed in math.
Programs offered in the last year
In addition to instructional programs, schools in Cochise County have gone the extra mile to provide a little extra help for students with their summer remediation programs.
Bisbee Unified School District offered an in-person summer school program for their middle and high school students during the summer of 2021.
“We want to make sure that they are definitely prepared for success in the next grade,” said Lowell Jr. High School Principal Laura Miller. “About 33% of our student population went to summer school.”
She said that the program for the middle school is funded through Title 1, a U.S.Department of Education financial assistance program.
Bisbee High School Principal Darin Giltner said the high school portion of the program was funded through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
“We had four teachers and 21 kids, so a little smaller classroom size than you’re typically dealing with, but (it) allowed for some bigger project-based learning,” said Giltner. “We tried to keep it local and pertinent.”
The Sierra Vista Unified School District created its “Summer Academy” program — a dual remediation and enrichment program. SVUSD Public Information Officer Valerie Weller said the academy is free for all students who live within SVUSD boundaries.
The program is also open to students who reside outside of the district, but they will have a $300 enrollment fee and will have to provide their own transportation. Weller said 1,000 students participated in the ESSER-funded program in the summer of 2021.
“Part of the Summer Academy was to help our students,” said Weller. “We want to be able to give them that remediation, go back into some of that English language arts and math and really brush up on those skills before they move on to that next grade level. And then on the other half, we wanted to say ‘thank you’ to our community for having stuck with us through us this year.”
For students ages 16-22 who’ve been out of school for 30-days or more, Cochise County Superintendent Jacqui Clay has opened the door for them to get back on track for a high school diploma through GradSolutions with her “New Crossroads Academy.”
The school, located at 4001 E. Foothills Drive in Sierra Vista, opened on June 25, 2021, and offers a space for youth to have access to technology and to come work with tutors by appointment on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Clay said the education center will provide computers, supplementary curricula and teachers to assist students with their assignments. Clay also said the education center will serve as a certified GED testing center.
The campus also has a STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — garden in collaboration with Cochise College, the University of Arizona South Cooperative Extension, Cochise County Education Services Agency and Lowe’s Sierra Vista branch.
“When it comes to making sure those in the correctional facility, who took the road maybe less traveled, that doesn’t mean that the road comes to an end,” said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels in his closing presentation at the school’s grand opening. “We need to make sure that we branch off that road and get them places.”
Interested in learning more about education in Cochise County? Check out the Herald/Review’s yearlong series on education in the county at www.myheraldreview.com.