Despite persistent budget cuts in recent years and declining enrollment figures, the Fountain Hills Unified School District continues to perform well when examined through the lens of the state Department of Education.

The primary indicator used today is the performance by students on the AIMS tests, along with the district’s ability to show improvement in results for those exams.

FHUSD moved up two points this year to a total of 142, good enough to keep its “A” grade. Three sites within the district improved their point totals from the year before – the only exception being McDowell Mountain Elementary School. MMES missed retaining its B standing by a single point. It should be noted that a school site with at least 10 English Language Learners gets an extra three points. While MMES was given those three points two years ago, the facility did not have enough ELL students last year, thus losing the three points and falling into the “C” range.

While it’s no secret that FHUSD is losing some students to charter and private schools throughout the northeast Valley, to us the primary reason for declining enrollment in recent years is due more to the economy than performance reasons. On a relative scale, housing remains high in Fountain Hills compared to many other locations around the Valley. Many younger families simply cannot afford to move here.

So kudos to the School District, its administrators, teachers, students and parents for this latest “A” grade by the state.