Art Wagner Memorial & Scholarship Fund
The education non-profit group, James Megellas Foundation, has opened a memorial and scholarship fund in Art Wagner’s honor.
To contribute, please write your check to the “James Megellas Foundation” with the memo, “Art Wagner Memorial and Scholarship Fund” sign and mail it to James Megellas Foundation, c/o Higley Unified School District Office, Superintendent’s Office, 2935 S. Recker Road, Gilbert, AZ 85295.
For contributors who wish to deliver their checks in person, the District Office front desk at 2935 S. Recker Road is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri., through May 31. The office is closed Memorial Day, May 27.
Higley registers children, adults for summer programs
Kids Club Summer Camp provides children with opportunities for fun educational experiences, including field trips, fitness, swimming and other activities. The camp is June 3- July 26, 6 a.m..-6 p.m., at Chaparral Elementary School, 3380 E. Frye Road, Gilbert. Tuition rates are reasonable and the district offers a 10 percent discount on registration for any siblings.
Higley Community Education also offers enrichment classes such as cheer, dance, tumbling, chess, robotics, music and even classes for toddler ballet and dancing. Some classes such as robotics and cinematography can count toward merit badges for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Summer sports including kickball and floor hockey are open to children in grades K-6.
Adult enrichment classes are also open, including ESL classes, Zumba Fitness, boot camp, boxing fitness and a women’s self-defense class.
Information is in the summer catalog at www.husd.org/summer. People with questions may call 480-279-7055 or e-mail community.education@husd.org
Higley Unified School District now on Facebook
“Our Facebook page is a new way for us to connect with our community, and it’s a way for our community to stay informed about news within our district and at our campuses,” said Dr. Denise Birdwell, superintendent of the Higley district.
Student achievements, meeting announcements,and updates on the construction of the district’s new middle schools are a few examples of the news that the Higley community, families and students will find published on the district’s Facebook page.
Free, early immunizations available
Chaparral Elementary School will host a series of free immunization clinics by the Chandler Regional Medical Center over the next few months, giving parents an opportunity to immunize children before the next school year begins in August.
The hospital’s Community Wellness Children’s Immunization Program aims to provide free immunizations to children 6 weeks to 18 years old.
The next four Chandler Regional Medical Center clinics at Chaparral, 3380 E. Frye Road, Gilbert, will be in the school’s cafeteria 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: April 10, May 8, July 17 and Aug. 7.
More information about this federally–funded program is here.
AdvancED accreditation recommended for Higley
Higley Unified School District has been recommended for accreditation from the international AdvancED accreditation group.
Accreditation is a hallmark of quality education for school districts, and it enables students to easily transfer credits from one school to another. The process for seeking accreditation is rigorous, requiring thousands of documents, surveys and interviews.
Higley announces ‘Teachers of the Year’
Higley Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Denise Birdwell has announced the 2013 Teachers of the Year.
Each year, principals and district leaders honor a high-performing teacher from every school in the Higley district.
The teachers receiving the honor this year are: Aimee Hunter, fifth grade at Centennial Elementary; Cynthia Alexander, fourth grade at Chaparral Elementary; Crystal Garcia, fourth grade at Coronado Elementary; Peggy Vogel, special education at Cortina Elementary; Mike Swaner, seventh-grade math at Gateway Pointe Elementary; Jessica D’Ambrosio, third grade at Higley Elementary and Middle School; Bob Edgar, sixth-grade band teacher at Power Ranch Elementary who also teaches band at Williams Field High School; Nicole Leone-Dunham, sixth-grade language arts at San Tan Elementary; Don Anderson, social studies at Higley High School; and Vatricia Harris, English at Williams Field High School.
The teachers will be honored at Higley’s fifth annual Teacher of the Year Dinner on May 1 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix-Gilbert, 1800 Santan Village Parkway, Gilbert.

We are also pleased to announce that all of our schools received high ratings and three of our schools advanced from a “B” to an “A” rating. We are on the path to ensuring that all of our schools achieve “A” ratings and that each student is achieving to the best of his or her ability. Our goal is to increase the rigor and relevance of our curriculum and use the most reliable data to determine student readiness for additional rigor, course placement and advancement across the curriculum at every grade level.
School | A-F Rating |
Centennial Elementary | A |
Chaparral Elementary | A |
Coronado Elementary | A |
Cortina Elementary | A |
Gateway Pointe Elementary | B |
Higley Elementary & Middle | A |
Higley High School | B |
Power Ranch Elementary | A |
San Tan Elementary | A |
Williams Field High School | A |
We know that students and parents have a choice. And, we thank our parents and students for choosing Higley and working hand-in-hand to promote success for each and every student.
We consider our District the best choice as we are “A” Rated and “a college- bound” district. With a 94% graduation rate and 85% of our graduates attending college, we are providing a strong foundation for our students and the opportunity to achieve and succeed beyond the high school years.







