Twenty 2008 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists attend Paradise Valley high schools.

PVUSD to host ASU Professional Development School
 Read more

Arrowhead Elementary School principal Diane Silvestri is the newest PVUSD principal to be inducted into the AZ LEADS³ (Arizona Leaders in Education for the Advancement and Development of Student and School Success) Circle of Honor. In partnership with the State Department of Education, the Circle of Honor recognizes the top one percent of Arizona principals. Members serve three-year terms to an institute of leaders who commit to sharing their expertise and mentoring to improve school leadership in Arizona. Diane is the sixth PVUSD principal to receive this honor.

The 2008 Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the PVUSD by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CFAR). This award is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

The 2008 National Education Association (NEA) - Saturn/UAW Partnership Award, which recognizes exemplary partnership efforts between local school districts and education associations, was awarded to the Paradise Valley Unified School District for the teacher mentoring program.

Hidden Hills Elementary School earned a 2008 A+ School Recognition Program award for excellence from the Arizona Education Foundation (AEF). A+ Schools are evaluated on an extensive application and rigorous site visit by the AEF A+ review panel, consisting of teachers, administrators, community volunteers and business leaders. Preparation of each school’s application involves its students, faculty, administration and surrounding community. The A+ School Recognition Program is designed to identify and recognize schools that exemplify excellence in the following areas: student focus and support, active teaching and learning, curriculum, community/parent involvement, leadership and assessment data. The PVUSD has received eleven A+ school designations to date.

Paradise Valley HIgh School's boys' track team won the 4A Division I 4x400 meter relay (Jacob Brown, Weston Diehl, Jacob Harris and Ebenezer Makinde), and had an individual high jump state champion (Marcus LaFine). They are coached by Donnie Yantis.

Horizon High Schools girls' tennis won the 5A Division II state championship and the team won a doubles championship.Team members are: Kendra Ross, Jessica Trink, Brianna Forster and Taylor Kessler. The coach is Bill Dillon.

The 5A Division II baseball state champions are, once again, the Horizon Huskies, coached by Eric Kibler and assistant coaches: Bob Strachan, Jim Cox and David Moore . Team members are: Joey Bristyan, Colt Kimmel, Thomas Valenza, Steve DeFritas, Nathan Mueller, Kyle Weber, Payden Yarmer, Dan Gardiner, Connor Hulse, Rya Ostrowski, Steve O'Hair, Eric Bond, Ryan Schwenn, Tom Joseph, Colby Everett, James Larcus, Bill Distler, Joey Danner, Dillon Everett, John Strickland, Alex Moreno and Zach Picciotti.

Fifteen Paradise Valley Unified School District students named National Merit finalists in 2008. Congratulations to these students: from Horizon: Arya Akhavan, Matthew Dion, Nari Ely, Matthew Kupfer, Lauren Meiss, Lauren Mohr, Michael Piatt, Max Spiller, Jon "Alex" Steging; from North Canyon: Laura Wade, Joshua Thai, Anna Ryan, Matthew Yanez; from Paradise Valley: Danielle Shaffer and from Shadow Mountain: Tami Hioki

Paradise Valley High School seniors Jason Schwartz and Monica Espaillat chosen as 2008 Phoenix Council District 2 Outstanding Young Man / Young Woman of the Year

Pinnacle High School boys soccer team are the 2007-08 Arizona 5A-II state champions

Horizon High School's Cody Abeyta is a 5A-II individual state wrestling champion for 2007-08

50 PVUSD employees are National Board Certified Teachers which is among the highest numbers of all Arizona schools. More about NBCTs

Sandy Harness, science teacher at Shadow Mountain High School and Greg Londot, 6th grade teacher at Hidden Hills Elementary School were named 2007 High School and Elementary Science Teachers of the Year by the Arizona Science Teachers Association.

98% of Paradise Valley Unified School District teachers are Highly Qualified

One of the highest number of Master Teachers in the state

Pinnacle and North Canyon High Schools are ranked the top two regular public high schools in the state by Newsweek magazine. Nationally. For this list, schools are ranked according to a scale called the Challenge Index which ranks "which schools are giving students the most value" based on the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge tests taken each year at a school, divided by the number of graduating seniors. Horizon High School was also one of the top schools on the list.

The Arizona K-12 Center and the Governor’s Master Teacher Initiative have designated five individuals from the Paradise Valley Unified School District as Master Teachers. The PVUSD’s  newest  Master Teacher Mentors are Julie Berlin, Marcia Zielinski, Cheryl Lee, Cecilia Lynch and Anne Kerby. These teachers have the highest level of expertise, understand the value of professional growth and possess the ability to demonstrate quality in their practice. They join Cindy Daniels, who was one of the first in the state to receive this designation, in raising the total of Master Teacher Mentors in the Paradise Valley School District to six, which is among the highest number in the state.

Palomino II Elementary School was recognized as one of only two schools in Arizona to receive the Distinguished School Award at the National Title I Conference.

PVUSD schools have received eleven A+ designations since 1992. They include:

• Desert Springs Elementary
• Desert Shadows Elementary
• Greenway Middle
• HIdden Hills Elementary
• Liberty Elementary (twice)
• North Ranch Elementary
• Palomino Elementary
• Sandpiper Elementary (twice)
• Sonoran Sky Elementary