Pam's Prescott Blog

The first thing I want you to know is that the Prescott area has great schools and many educational options to choose from.  In fact, Arizona as a whole prides itself on school choice, and most districts offer open enrollment, meaning that students can attend the district of their choice, no matter where they live.

Before I became a Realtor, I enjoyed 13 years as a high school English and French teacher in two school districts in the Prescott Area: Prescott Unified School District and Humboldt Unified School District.  I also have children as well as nieces and nephews who have attended both districts.

Here is my honest opinion, but I encourage you to check out all our schools' websites for more information.

My favorite school district in the area is the Prescott Unified School District.  I say this as both a former teacher and a parent.  First of all, the district has an outstanding tradition that goes back over 100 years.  Secondly, the quality of the instruction is visible in the district's student test scores, which are consistently among the very highest in the State of Arizona.  Third, I love the expertise and creativity of teachers, the variety of programs they offer, and the challenging and varied curricula at all levels.  Professionalism is obvious throughout the district at PUSD.

The Humboldt Unified School District covers the Prescott Valley and Dewey/Humboldt areas, and unfortunately has had its share of problems over the years.  While it, too, is home to some wonderful teachers, the district has had an overwhelming amount of faculty turnover in recent years and has struggled to maintain consistent leadership.  Despite these problems, the district has managed to generate student test scores that are consistently higher than the State average.

I have very little experience with the Chino Valley School District, so I recommend going to their website to learn more about their faculty, programs and test scores.  I would tell you, that as far as I know, Chino Valley is still on an "all year round" school calendar, with longer inter-sessions and a shorter summer break for its students.

There are also many charter schools in the area to choose from as well as some private religious schools.  The charter schools that have impressed me the most are Skyview School (K-8), Mountain Oak Charter School (Waldorf-K-8) and Tri-City College Prep.  These schools all have innovative and challenging programs that benefit students who, for whatever reason, do not want to or cannot attend the public schools.

While I realize this isn't a comprehensive overview of our Prescott Area Schools, I hope it gives you a place to start.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me!