Original One-Room School

Ash Creek School (Pre-K - 8)   Ash Creek is a small rural school of 4 teachers and 40-50 students. The school lies below  the foothills of the scenic Chiricahua Mountains and near the Chiricahua National Monument. It is  35 miles south of I - 10 and Willcox.  The original 104 year old one-room school is the current library and is a satellite for the Cochise County Library.  The school is a community gathering place with an athletic field, picnic area and park-like grounds. 

 Ash Creek School is committed to individualized, hands-on learning which is student-centered, with guidance from school personnel and community.  It has a friendly, safe atmosphere that creates respect for self and others.  It inspires literacy and builds strong minds. Ash Creek teachers and staff are highly qualified, skilled, motivated and creative.  They model life-long learning and  promote problem-solving and creative thinking.       

Click here to access Ash Creek Elementary School's information.

Double Adobe School (K - 6) is the quintessential rural school located in the Sulpher Spring Valley.  It has been a school since about 1910.   It has a population of 4.5 teachers and 60 students.  It provides a local school for students in a portion of the White Water Draw and the south end of the Sulpher Spring Valley.   The historic adobe school is the office for the Neiman Hopkins NRCD Center and the repository for their learning materials.  The old school is also used for performances and special community events.   The school is the only structure in the community other than a small community store.  The site is uniquely located across the road from what was the historic Chiracahua Cattle Company Headquarters.  For many years the school has been providing unique opportunities for music education and learning in the arts.  Through the SAAA project they are embracing the challenge and the rewards of arts integration. For more information about Double Adobe School, click here.

Ft. Thomas Elementary School (K - 6)  is across the Highway 70 from the Fort Thomas High School and services the same population.  It is a unique site that has been committed to the concept of arts integration as a reform tool to achieve school improvement.  Over the past five years the site has brought arts integration to its population of  250 students and 14 teachers.  The historic school is the site of the district offices.  The Elementary and High schools and the trading post are the main structures in the community with a few family residences.  This site is a model for the power of arts and integration. For more information about Ft. Thomas Elementary, please click here.

Ft. Thomas High School   Fort Thomas High School ( 7 – 12) is located about 11 miles east of the San Carlos Apache Reservation on U.S. Highway 70.  It serves approximately 250 students from grades 7-12.  More than 90% of the students are Native Americans from the surrounding Apache Indian Reservation.  There are also a small number of students from the town of Fort Thomas, Arizona.   Most of the students in this rural school have little access to places where the arts thrive.  Last year, when Arts for  “Border” Children, SAAA, and Borderlands Theater presented “Our Dad is in Atlantis”, a large number of the high school students said it was their first experience with live theater.  Many other "firsts" with various forms of the arts have occurred since then, making the SAAA Arts Integration an exciting, ongoing project.  This year we are also working to integrate arts education with the rich cultural heritage of the community we serve.  For more information about Ft. Thomas High School, please click here.

Mount Turnbull Academy ( 9 - 12)  Mount Turnbull is the alternative school for the Ft. Thomas Unified School District.  It is located on the San Carlos Apache Reservation at the new Bylas Learning Center in the community of Bylas.  There are approximately 38 high risk students that have been out of school a semester or one, two, or three years.   Four teachers including the director, staff  the site and two are Native American. The students at this site have decided to return and finish their high school education.  Students take their high school classes online with the A+ system with additional directly taught classes in Native American literature, Arizona history, Apache Language etc.   The SAAA project is integrated with the direct instruction classes and has proven to be a powerful tool to engage and challenge the students.  For more information about Mount Turnbull Acadamy, please click here.

Naco School (K- 8) is located on the Mexican border just south of Bisbee.  The community of Naco is on both sides of the border (Arizona & Sonora, Mexico).   It is located directly south of the historic mining town of Bisbee, AZ.   Naco is a typical border town with the Mexican side of the community being much larger than the U. S. side.  The community overlooks a scenic view of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.  Naco is a very old historic community and was an outpost for the Buffalo Soldiers. It is rich in the history, language and culture of the border region.   Approximately 80 % of the students begin their schooling not able to speak English.  The population of the school is 280 students and 18 teachers.   The teachers and  students are meeting the challenge presented by the SAAA master teaching artists to engage in the benefits of an arts integrated curriculum and the results of higher order thinking skills.  For more information about Naco Elementary, please click here.

Willcox Elementary School  (K - 5)  is located in a very old historic ranching and farming community.  The community is famous for a traditional and historic western atmosphere and life style. Located on I -10 just 80 miles east of Tucson, the area is also a popular site-seeing and outdoor recreation area.  In recent years this Sulphur Springs Valley has become known for it orchards and vegetables, as well as traditional ranching.  The school mascot is the cowboy.

The school serves a diverse population of students and we believe that all students add value to our school community.   The mission of the district is to continuously expand opportunities for all students.   We uphold traditional values such as respect, personal and social responsibility, honesty and hard word, while striving to create a broad range of educational opportunities that form a complete education for our students.   The school motto is, “Small school – Big opportunities”.

Willcox Elementary School (6 - 8) is located in a very old historic ranching and farming community.  The community is famous for a traditional and historic western atmosphere and life style. Located on I -10 just 80 miles east of Tucson, the area is also a popular site-seeing and outdoor recreation area.  In recent years this Sulphur Springs Valley has become known for its orchards and vegetables, as well as traditional ranching.  The school mascot is the cowboy.

The school serves a diverse population of students and we believe that all students add value to our school community.   The mission of the district is to continuously expand opportunities for all students.   We uphold traditional values such as respect, personal and social responsibility, honesty and hard word, while striving to create a broad range of educational opportunities that form a complete education for our students.   The school motto is, “Small school – Big opportunities”.