we live in the 85260 zip, and our children attend a smaller private school camelback desert, the scottsdale campus. the school has been going through some changes in the last few years, and we have treaded the changes and remained pleased, next year the school will have a large change which will lead to enrollment from 2 yrs of age to 8th grade. I will have a preK and a 3rd grader. We have been there 6 years. Very please with class size and the academic progress, and individualized planning, as my son is excelling. Love the technology curricuum which really has lending my 2nd grader to well surpass mom on the Mac as well as the pc. ------------ trying to keep up. Real 21 C learning.

I would go private if you can. The public Schools in AZ are not the best. I do not know where you are moving from but when we moved here we tried public for several years and were really disappointed. It you can afford private look at Rancho Solano Greenway campus. Awesome school! Good Luck!!!

I live in the 85254 zip code, I researched this site for months before making a decision. I can tell you from experience, Liberty Elementary, Sunrise Middle, and Horizon High school consistently rate among the top 3 in PVUSD, that is one of the districts available to you in that zip code.

We actually moved our smallest to Basis Scottsdale (better academic schedule) and Business Week just rated them #1 (based on Great School scores) in AZ.

Basis is a charter school that is excellent! Starting grade 5 thru high school. As another posted, Charter Schools are an excellent alternative and have many positives if you decide to look into them.

If you don't have a child with special education needs, I would also look at the Cave Creek Unified School District. As a parent who recently relocated to Scottsdale with a home in the Cave Creek District--I am happy about some things, conflicted about others. I wish I had looked more at private and charter schools for at least one of my children. You should know that Arizona has numerous charter schools and you can fairly easily transfer your child from one public school district to another--in fact most districts market to potential transfers. You also get a tax break for donations to private schools.
On the positive--sunrises and sunsets in Arizona are amazing! And so is the weather. . .now. . .just don't ask me about the weather in July. . .

Thanks april!

Here is some information I found from Wikipedia regarding Chaparral High School: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaparral_High_School,_Scottsdale,_Arizona

"Chaparral has one of the highest graduation rates in the state, with a 98% graduation rate, significantly higher than the 80% state average. Over 95 percent of Chaparral's graduates enroll in higher education, the most of any highschool in Arizona. Chaparral High School has consistently ranked in Newsweek's list of Best High Schools in America, and in 2007 Chaparral was one of only 12 schools ranked in Arizona. The high school also usually garners more National Merit Semifinalists annually than any other school in the state and holds the state record for having the most scholars in one year (24 in 2000). Additionally, the school has also earned the record most in-state Presidential Scholars in Arizona with 17 in 2003.
Chaparral is the only school in Arizona to have students win the highest honors at the Siemens Westinghouse Competition and Intel Science Talent Search, two of the most prestigious science competitions in the U.S."

Check out Horizon High School, it was listed in Newsweek's (if I remember the magazine correctly) best 1000 high schools in the nation.

i have heard good things about so many different elementary schools. any opinions on which high school is best in the area?

Tam,

Sonoran Sky is located in Scottsdale (east of Scottsdale Rd. on Sweetwater), but it is part of the Paradise Valley School District. It also has a gifted program and is a very well run/organized school with an excellent principal and fantastic music program (chorus, band, and strings).

Hi again Tam,
No - unfortunately I don't know anything about those two schools you mentioned. Yes, Sequoya has a program for gifted children. I believe they start testing before/after second grade? You'd have to call the school to find out more about it...Or, maybe check out their website?

Hi april: do you know anything about grayhawk or copper ridge elementary? Does your school have a program for gifted children?

Hi again Tam,
I noticed that someone had reported that Sonoran Sky is also a good elementary school -- I didn't know that it was in the Paradise Valley School District. But, I also agree with that writer that it has good reports. I have also heard positive things about it, as well! Good Luck!

Hi Tam,
I am happy to report that I have nothing but great things to say about the school my daughters started this year...We are at Sequoya Elementary School, in the Scottsdale Unified School District & have been very pleased. We are new to the school system here, so with that in mind, we have heard mixed reviews of schools in Paradise Valley. I recently talked to a Mom that wants to take her son out of their school (in Paradise Valley) to go Sequoya because she's heard such good things about it. And, there are many families that drive upwards of 30 min. to go to Sequoya. But, like I said, I am new to the area! My daughters are in kindergarten & second grade, so I feel like I am getting a bigger picture of the school, as well & expectations/academic standards as the kids grow...Also, the middle school & high school here are excellent (Cocopah & Chapparal)
Hope this helps you!

hi aprilmom, we are in the same exact position now. did you move? did you find out anything regarding scottsdale unified schools vs paradise valley?

Sonoran Sky Elementary school is in that zip code, it is part of the Paradise Valley Unified school district, but is located just east of Scottsdale Rd. on Sweetwater. It's a terrific school....read the parent reviews on this website. For private in that area there is Tesseract and Phoenix Country Day School....hope you have deep pockets.

Dear AprilMom,
I'd like to introduce myself...I'm Selena Peregoy, a Realtor in Annapolis, MD and just joined GreatSchools Parent Community as an involved and concerned mom of 4 myself (2 grown, 1 in HS and 1 going into HS. As a Realtor and mother, I do know how very important the decision is to move into the best school system possible for the well being of their education. That is why I would love to refer you to a Realtor in that area that I believe would be able to guide you and provide very valuable information about the school district that you are interested in. Robyne started her career in public education in 1992. She taught elementary school for 8 years in the Washington Elementary School District and worked primarily with English language learners. In 1997 she earned her Master's degree in Counseling and worked for the Paradise Valley School District for 8 years as a high school counselor.

In her first year in real estate, Robyne earned Top Sales Agent of the Year with another brokerage. Striving for excellence she also achieved a designation from the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI). The GRI is a 90 hour program that marks the committment Realtors make to providing a high level of customer service through a strong educational foundation. Additionally, Robyne is also designated as an e-Pro, which indicates her knowledge and committment to the technological aspect of real estate. This is especially useful in marketing properties and communicating with clients. If you would like to learn more about her, please contact me @ selenaperegoy@hotmail.com. You can also view my website @ www.homeswithselena.com. All the very best to you!