Education

A free after-school reading program is coming to the San Tan Valley Library this fall, and families need to register by Sept. 15, the same day it begins. Read Better Be Better runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 15 through Nov. 5, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the San Tan Valley Library, 31505 N. Schnepf Road. There is no cost. How the Program Works...

Florence Unified School District is weighing two school closure recommendations, and four of the five schools named in either one serve San Tan Valley families. The district's school closure committee has met since March. It is now presenting two recommendations to the district's Budgetary Steering Committee, according to a community email FUSD sen...

A University of Arizona program pays 100% of tuition and fees, adds a monthly stipend and lines up a civilian job with the Department of Defense after graduation. A reader tipped us to it, saying it deserves more attention than it gets. The program is the Defense Civilian Training Corps, or DCTC. The Department of Defense, called the DoD for short,...

Central Arizona College students who do not qualify for federal Pell Grants will have a new way to pay for textbooks starting in fall 2026 — a $500 book scholarship funded by the college's own support staff. The Central Arizona College Foundation recently received a donation from the college's Support Staff Association to create the 500 for 500 Boo...

Teachers in the San Tan Valley area can earn a $400 classroom grant this school year by completing a free STEM workshop from SRP, and registration is now open. The Saturday workshops run from 8 a.m. to noon at the PERA Training and Conference Center, 1 E. Continental Drive in Tempe. Teachers can see full workshop descriptions and sign up at srp.net...

Dr. Karin Hilgersom will serve as interim president of Central Arizona College beginning Monday, July 13, the college's Governing Board announced July 7. She will lead the college on a temporary basis while the board finishes its search for a permanent president. CAC is Pinal County's only community college, serving about 5,700 students across its ...

The Central Arizona College Foundation is accepting applications for several scholarships that can help San Tan Valley area students pay for their education, with a deadline of Thursday, Aug. 13. The scholarships are open to students at Central Arizona College, which serves Pinal County and operates campuses across the area. Three are highligh...

Florence Unified School District — the district that serves most of the San Tan Valley area — is weighing school closures to close a $5 million budget gap, and district leaders say more than one campus may have to shut down to make up the difference. Most of the district's schools are in the San Tan Valley area. Only two elementary schools and one ...

Harmon Elementary School is planning a Career Fair for students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade and is inviting community members to participate. The event will take place during the week of April 27 through May 1, 2026. The goal is to introduce younger students to a wide range of careers and help them better understand what different jobs and industrie...

Students in Central Arizona College's drone program will benefit from new scholarship funding thanks to a recent donation from the Superstition Radio Control Helicopter Association (SRCHA). The Central Arizona College Foundation received a $2,500 contribution from SRCHA to provide ongoing scholarship support for students enrolled in the college's d...

Combs High School is preparing for its annual Mock Interview Day and is inviting local business and industry leaders to get involved. The event is scheduled for March 26, 2026, and is expected to serve approximately 400 students, including Career and Technical Education (CTE) students and graduating seniors. Mock Interview Day is designed to give s...

Teachers in San Tan Valley have a chance to bring new ideas, tools, and hands-on learning into their classrooms — with help from Salt River Project (SRP). SRP is now accepting applications for its Classroom Grants, which provide funding to K–12 teachers for projects in STEM, history, and social studies. Applications are open through February 15, 20...

The Central Arizona College Foundation has awarded the first Joyce Amburgey Memorial Scholarships, recognizing four students for the Fall semester. Earlier this year, the foundation received a donation to establish the scholarship in memory of Joyce Amburgey. This fall, four Central Arizona College students — Brooke Packard, Addison Quenga, Arpita ...

Combs Center for Success (CCS), an alternative education campus within the J.O. Combs Unified School District, has been recognized at both the state and national level for its work supporting students in non-traditional learning environments. The campus recently received an "A" letter grade from the Arizona Department of Education and was also name...

The J.O. Combs Unified School District has announced that the Governing Board has selected Mr. Toby Haugen as the district's next Superintendent. He is scheduled to officially step into the role on July 1, 2026. District leaders say the transition will be a gradual one. Over the coming months, Mr. Haugen will work closely with current Superintenden...