Before we turn the page on one of our community’s signature events, Vail Pride Day, I wanted to just pause to thank each of you for your contribution to what happened over the three day event where we celebrated our volunteers, our staff, and most importantly our students! More than 15,000 community members chose to show up at the Pima County fairgrounds simply to celebrate Vail’s kids. 

Vail kids left the fairgrounds after Vail Pride Day with sticky kettle corn fingers, faces painted, and PRIDE… deep pride in their artwork, their singing abilities, their math skills, their trumpet playing, their football skills, and so much more. They felt that pride and love from our entire community! Thank you to all of our community sponsors who made the event possible. And, thank you for reminding Vail’s kids that they matter to all of us, and for carrying out Vail’s motto: “Where Education Is a Community Effort!”

I am proud to announce that two of our schools applied for the Arizona Educational Foundation A+ School of Excellence Award and have earned the distinction. 

Vail celebrates a total of 45 A+ School of Excellence Awards with the two most recent schools named to the list: Andrada Polytechnic High School & Mica Mountain High School! This is the first A+ School of Excellence Award for both schools!

Some ask me what the difference is between an A label and an A+ School of Excellence Award. In short, school labels are assigned to every school in the state by the State Department of Education based on student achievement, student growth, graduation rates, etc. A+ School of Excellence comes from the Arizona Educational Foundation and includes a rigorous application process followed by two days of judges from across the state coming to evaluate each school in person. 

A+ eligibility has various requirements including the number of years the school has been open; the number of years the principal has been serving there; the number of years since the last time the school earned it; as well as extreme levels of quality in community involvement, instructional practices, student growth and achievement, leadership, and more.

Achieving the A+ School of Excellence designation is affirmation of the incredible collaboration among our educators, parents, and community. 

All of Vail’s high schools are currently A rated, and all have now earned the A+ School of Excellence Award.

Both Andrada and Mica Mountain will celebrate with a ceremony later this spring. 

As a reminder, the parent survey will close this Friday at 5:00 p.m. If you have already filled out the survey for each of your children, thank you. If you have not yet had the opportunity to do so, I encourage you to do so. It will only take 2 to 4 minutes.

We take these surveys very seriously. Each year we compare results to the results of prior years and look for trends in improvement and areas that need attention. Please help us help you by providing the quality responses needed to make the results meaningful. 

In my December newsletter to you, I shared information about the Regional Transportation Authority survey that closed on January 31st. That newsletter can be found HERE. While it was informational, it was also of critical importance as our community is in need of critical infrastructure. Thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey. As a result of the responses, the RTA is proposing infrastructure improvements in the Pima County Southeast region. Please see the RTA Next “Draft” project list below along with a QR code and/or email address where you can provide your input to be read at the next meeting on March 3rd. Now is the time to make your voice heard to ensure transportation infrastructure in the southeast region of Pima County is a priority.

Vail offers opportunities for enrichment for our K-8 students during our fall, spring, and summer breaks. Check out all of the wonderful camp options and register HERE today.

Tax season is well underway. Many are wrapping up their taxes for 2024. I just wanted to remind you that it is not too late to claim your 2024 Arizona tax credit.

Keep your Arizona state income tax in Vail and decide how YOU want it to be used. Visit vailtaxcredits.org to learn more and to select a school and shop for the activity you’d like to fund. Thank you for participating in Vail's motto - Where Education Is a Community Effort!

Be sure to check out VAIL EVENTS to learn about all about the Spring Break Camps, the Mental Health Awareness Walk coming soon, and much more!