Fountain Hills High School enjoys the privilege of being a community high school. We are all (Fountain Hills students, teachers, parents, and community members) stakeholders in this great school. It is important to me that you, our community stakeholders, know how special your high school is, and that FHHS is a school you can be proud to call your own.

Sure, we consistently earned an A rating by the Arizona Department of Education (back when they were giving out school letter grades). But we know you expect a lot more of us than just an easy A.

The story of our success is best told by the students and their achievements. That’s what it’s really all about, right? Typically, 88-93 percent of FHHS graduates are accepted into two- or four-year colleges and military programs.

More importantly, FHHS grads not only enter colleges, they complete! In a 2013 study conducted by the Arizona Board of Regents, FHHS ranked 14th in the state (out of 458 Arizona high schools) for percentage of graduates who successfully complete a four-year college degree.

This tells us our graduates leave our campus with the knowledge, skills and mindset necessary to become successful at the next level. On the 2015 ACT exam, which measures students’ readiness for college-level material, the class of 2015 exceeded the readiness benchmark scores in each tested area: English, mathematics, reading, and science. As an ASU vice provost for enrollment told me during a meeting in the fall of 2013, “We wish all of our freshman were as well-prepared as yours.”

Why are FHHS grads so well-equipped for the next level? It’s a combination of many factors — supportive families, a supportive community, a caring and dedicated school staff, a safe school environment, rigorous course work and relevant extracurricular opportunities.

At FHHS we offer 20 weighted honors or Advanced Placement courses, and another 10 that offer advanced opportunities in elective and career areas. Last year, 143 students took 266 exams through the College Board’s Advanced Placement program, with over 60 percent earning a score that may qualify them for college credit.

Our students, parents, and teachers consistently tell us how happy and proud they are of our extensive athletic and extracurricular offerings at FHHS. Although small (current enrollment is 560), we offer an array of life-enriching activities that rival those offered at schools three times our size.

We recognize that athletics and clubs provide students with opportunities and skills that are integral to their leap forward after graduation. And again, not only do we offer programs, our students are super successful in their endeavors. The results tell the story:

*14 state championship teams in baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball (the three most recent: baseball 2013, girls basketball 2014, girls soccer 2014)

*Three-time winner of the Arizona Interscholastic Association Don F. Stone Award for overall excellence in our athletic programs.

*Highly decorated band and music program winning numerous awards annually. The Falcon Band swept all categories at NAU Band Day on Oct. 10, earning first place in all six categories.

*State champion and nationally recognized Vex Robotics program.

*A 2015 National Merit Scholar.

*A Guinness world record holder in potato-gun firing.

*Renowned visual arts programs (next time you’re at the Fountain, check out the mural on the pump house wall created by the FHHS Art Department).

*The 2015 Arizona Innovation Teacher of the Year teaches in our science department.

*An annual science fair that produces over 300 student entries.

*A Career and Technical Education department that scored 97 percent or higher in six of the nine performance measures used by the State to determine our program’s effectiveness, such as: reading attainment, technical skill attainment, program completion, graduation, etc. FHHS students earned the top five scores in the state last year in hospitality and the third highest score in the state in photography.

It is important to me that you know the whole story about your community high school, and it is a great story indeed. If you would like to take a closer look, just give me a call and I’ll be happy to show you around: 480-664-5511.