Photo by George Seimon
Supporting and Elevating our Schools
Communities are defined by their schools. For Fountain Hills, it is no different and Flourish Fountain Hills is committed to supporting and elevating our schools.
The Fountain Hills Unified School District (FHUSD) is the single-largest gathering point for residents (kids are residents, too!) and families. Schools are the hub of major activity on more than 175 days a year. FHUSD also represents to the community the importance that is placed on education for all, as nearly 1,000 students call the District’s classrooms “home” every day.
Fountain Hills Unified School District, pre-K through 12th grade, is the largest business anchor of our town, too. The School District is the second-largest landowner and the largest employer in our community, boasting more than 100 employees, many of whom also call Fountain Hills home. The District owns and operates the third-largest vehicle fleet. It truly is an economic engine unlike any other in our town.
But it’s what happens inside those classrooms that really counts. With two elementary learning centers, a middle school, and a campus-like high school, it’s all about learning. The middle school and high school both are rated A+ by the Arizona Educational Foundation for academic achievement. The high school also features a concurrent enrollment program where students can earn university credits during their high school years. And students can also learn important skills in coordination with the East Valley Institute of Technology, a full-scale high-tech, vocational tech district also featuring concurrent enrollment. The results consistently produce 90 percent graduation rates and 75 percent college-bound students.
In addition, in 2025, our local high school and middle school were both honored as National Model Schools for their academic excellence and fostering positive learning environments. This past year, only 28 schools across the U.S. earned this prestigious distinction!
Let’s not forget that the District hosts a full interscholastic program in sports, the arts, and academics. And the District’s indoor and outdoor athletic facilities also support community adult programs, too.
The community component is what makes FHUSD the total package. Families all benefit from a successful school district. The sense of achievement, scholastic success, and relationship building, coupled with individual and group programs, is what makes a community. It is a rallying factor. It is what can drive a community’s reputation.
That’s what Fountain Hills High School, Fountain Hills Middle School, Four Peaks and McDowell Mountain Elementary Schools, and the Little Falcons pre-K program provide to the entire community of Fountain Hills.
Flourish Fountain Hills believes that community support of its school system is a crucial element in a thriving community. Even more important, Flourish Fountain Hills believes that local control is a crucial part of any community. And that’s where all residents can play a critical role. That role takes many forms.
FHUSD is governed by a locally elected board. Board member requirements are few, but Flourish Fountain Hills believes that board members who support local public schools, understand the needs of children, and believe that local control is a deciding element are all key factors in board membership.
Examples of Local Control
- The state provides baseline funding for all public schools on a per-pupil basis. Without exception, school districts throughout the state understand that the funding levels provided by the state are insufficient to meet the local needs. As a smaller district, this is particularly true of FHUSD. The responsibility of any school district is to provide a well-rounded education to all who attend to meet graduation requirements, beginning at the earliest ages. This is true no matter if only one child requires a certain type of educational program. Those programs are required, and sometimes funding is not sufficient. To that end, state statute provides for local funding supplements in the form of:
- Voter-approved Maintenance/Operations Overrides, to support extended classroom opportunities, classroom supplies, supplement teacher pay, and to meet the daily needs of operating school buildings.
- Capital Overrides. Without those funds, some of the most basic needs cannot be met, including classroom equipment like computers, some safety components, and infrastructure improvements that may not be capitalized.
- Voter-approved Capital Bonds specific to “capitalized” needs, like buildings, roofs, parking lots, lighting, and safety upgrades.
- Without these voter-approved supplements, FHUSD cannot maximize its educational programs. Flourish Fountain Hills also supports additional local funding solutions for FHUSD.
- FHUSD offers a state “tax credit” program where residents and nonresidents alike can contribute to fund a variety of extracurricular activities, including arts, sports, and other opportunities.
It is local control that includes important direction and responsibility for curriculum offerings and direction. It’s a critical role in how the school district responds to residents, regardless of age, race, gender, or occupation. Flourish Fountain Hills advocates for local control at all levels of public school programs and believes that state mandates can oftentimes defeat local control initiatives, including curriculum development, decision-making, and program assessment.
Flourish Fountain Hills recognizes the importance of a school district that represents its community. We believe that these and other factors are an important measure of District success, which translates into community success. Flourish Fountain Hills supports the efforts of residents and elected leaders who believe the same.