Scottsdale Unified School District, Arizona

Scottsdale Unified School District
Phoenix, Arizona
District details
Superintendent: Scott Menzel
# of school board members: 5
Website: Link

Scottsdale Unified School District is a school district in Arizona.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district’s…

• Superintendent
• School board
• Elections
• Budget
• Teacher salaries
• Academic performance
• Students
• Staff
• Schools
• Contact information

Superintendent

This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Scott Menzel is the superintendent of Scottsdale Unified School District. Menzel was appointed superintendent in February 2020. His previous career experience includes serving as superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

Past superintendents

• John Kriekard was the superintendent of the Scottsdale Unified School District from 2019 to 2020. He also served as acting superintendent from May 2018 to 2019. Kriekard's previous career experience includes working as the superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District.

• Denise Birdwell was the superintendent of the Scottsdale Unified School District from 2016 to 2018. Birdwell's previous career experience included working as the superintendent of the Higley Unified School District.

School board

The Scottsdale Unified Governing Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large.

Office	Name	Date assumed office
Scottsdale Unified Governing Board At-large	Amy Carney	January 1, 2023
Scottsdale Unified Governing Board At-large	Donna Lewis	January 1, 2025
Scottsdale Unified Governing Board At-large	Matthew Pittinsky	January 1, 2025
Scottsdale Unified Governing Board At-large	Michael Sharkey	January 1, 2025
Scottsdale Unified Governing Board At-large	Carine Werner	January 1, 2023

This officeholder information was last updated on May 15, 2024. Please contact us with any updates.

Elections

See also: Scottsdale Unified School District elections in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024

Board members are elected on a staggered basis in November of even-numbered years.

Three seats on the Scottsdale Unified School District school board in Arizona were up for general election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline for this election was July 8, 2024.

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Public participation in board meetings

The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:

“

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS (Public Commentary During Board Meetings) All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public for viewing. The Board will include public commentary on the agenda at its regular meetings. The Board welcomes the respectful and civil input of citizens on matters within the jurisdiction of the Board. The responsible presentation of these viewpoints is vital to the efficient operation of the District. The Board also recognizes its responsibility for the proper governance of the schools and therefore the need to conduct its business in an orderly and efficient manner. The Board therefore establishes the following policy to receive input from citizens during its open call to the public: A. Persons may only comment on issues within the jurisdiction of the Governing Board. B. Any individual desiring to address the Board shall complete any registration process established for making public comments, including without limitation completing a form (Request to Address Board) and submitting it to the Superintendent prior to the start of the Board meeting. The District shall develop regulations and Request to Address Board forms that align with this policy which may include a digital or electronic process. C. The Board may choose to hear public comments in person, via online submissions posted publicly, or through any means that allows the public to provide input to the Board on matters within its authority. The District shall develop regulations and any necessary forms that align with this policy and such regulation shall be implemented fairly and consistently. D. The Board President shall be responsible for recognizing speakers, maintaining proper order, and adhering to any time limit set, including time limits set for the total time for all public comment and time for each individual speaker. Each individual will be allowed up to 2 minutes to speak if public comment is being provided in person. The Board President may prioritize those wishing to speak to items on the agenda so that public input can be timely heard on matters before the Board, however in no event shall the point of view of individual speakers be considered in the prioritization. Board members shall not engage in back-and-forth discussion with speakers. E. The Board President may implement reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions during open calls to the public, including without limitation: 1) setting an overall time limit on the length of the comment period of no less than thirty (30) minutes; 2) setting a time limit for individual speakers not to exceed two (2) minutes, and 3) prioritizing comments so that matters listed on the agenda are heard in a timely manner. The Board President may also end an individual’s comment period if the individual’s comment disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the Board’s meeting, including without limitation if an individual's comment becomes threatening, becomes vulgar or profane, falls outside the jurisdiction of the Governing Board, or by speaking too long after the set time period has expired. F. Political speech that would be construed as electioneering under applicable Arizona law is prohibited and the Board President will instruct the speaker to refrain from such commentary. The Board President shall end an individual’s comment period if electioneering continues. G. Speakers are not allowed to approach the dais at any time during the Governing Board meeting unless permission is given by the Board President. H. Personal attacks upon Board members, staff personnel, or other persons in attendance or absent, by individuals who address the Board are discouraged. Policies KE, KEB, KEC, and KED are provided by the Board for disposition of legitimate complaints, including those involving individuals. At the conclusion of an open call to the public, Board members may respond to criticism made by those who have addressed the public body, may ask District staff to review a matter or may ask that a matter be put on a future agenda. However, members of the public body shall not discuss or take legal action on matters raised during an open call to the public unless the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action. The Superintendent shall ensure that a copy of this policy is posted at the entrance to the Board meeting room, and that request to speak forms are accessible to all members of the public wanting to provide comment prior to the start of the Board meeting.

”

District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Revenue
• Expenditures

Revenue, 2020-2021

SOURCE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Federal:	$27,857,000	$1,312	11%
Local:	$198,460,000	$9,345	76%
State:	$36,100,000	$1,700	14%
Total:	$262,417,000	$12,356

Expenditures, 2020-2021

TYPE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Total Expenditures:	$283,884,000	$13,206
Total Current Expenditures:	$201,283,000	$9,363
Instructional Expenditures:	$112,905,000	$5,252	40%
Student and Staff Support:	$30,554,000	$1,421	11%
Administration:	$18,831,000	$876	7%
Operations, Food Service, Other:	$38,993,000	$1,813	14%
Total Capital Outlay:	$65,376,000	$3,041
Construction:	$52,521,000	$2,443
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other:	$4,267,000	$198
Interest on Debt:	$11,439,000	$532

Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year	Minimum	Maximum
2020-2021	$48,383	$94,085

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.

• Mathematics
• Reading/language arts
• Graduation rates

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	53	72	30	31	25-29	50-54	62
2018-2019	63	78	42	43	35-39	60-64	72
2017-2018	63	80	40	41	35-39	60-64	72
2016-2017	59	77	37	37	33		67
2015-2016	52	65	35	31	25-29		59
2014-2015	50	62	30	29	25-29		58
2013-2014	76	84	59	56	52		83
2012-2013	75	85	53	55	61		82
2011-2012	77	84	58	57	55-59		83
2010-2011	77	86	54	55	55-59		84

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	55	68	38	37	30-34	50-54	63
2018-2019	63	73	44	44	40-44	70-74	72
2017-2018	62	74	43	40	35-39	60-64	71
2016-2017	60	72	39	39	31		68
2015-2016	55	64	37	34	25-29		63
2014-2015	53	60	35	33	25-29		61
2013-2014	89	91	81	77	74		93
2012-2013	89	92	78	76	77		93
2011-2012	88	92	79	75	75-79		93
2010-2011	88	90	74	74	70-74		93

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2019-2020	92	90-94	90-94	85	70-79	>=90	95
2018-2019	93	>=95	85-89	85	80-89	>=80	95
2017-2018	90	90-94	85-89	87	80-89	>=80	91
2016-2017	91	90-94	90-94	88	80-89		91
2015-2016	85	80-84	70-74	82	70-79		88
2014-2015	85	85-89	70-74	82	80-89		87
2013-2014	87	85-89	80-84	76	70-79		90
2012-2013	88	90-94	70-74	79	60-69		92
2011-2012	90	90-94	80-84	81	70-79		93
2010-2011	91	90-94	70-79	85	80-89		93

Students

• Enrollment
• Demographics

Year	Enrollment	Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023	21,177	-1.2
2021-2022	21,428	-0.3
2020-2021	21,496	-4.3
2019-2020	22,410	0.7
2018-2019	22,256	-1.3
2017-2018	22,550	-3.8
2016-2017	23,405	-1.1
2015-2016	23,659	-0.9
2014-2015	23,883	-4.1
2013-2014	24,866	-1.5
2012-2013	25,246	-2.0
2011-2012	25,762	-1.8
2010-2011	26,235	-1.3
2009-2010	26,588	-1.9
2008-2009	27,082	1.7
2007-2008	26,611	7.4
2006-2007	24,653	-9.3
2005-2006	26,936	2.2
2004-2005	26,356	-0.8
2003-2004	26,559	-2.6
2002-2003	27,245	-0.9
2001-2002	27,479	1.9
2000-2001	26,958	0.7
1999-2000	26,767	0.0

Racial Demographics, 2022-2023

RACE	Scottsdale Unified School District (%)	Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native	2.3	4.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander	5.3	3.1
Black	4.0	5.7
Hispanic	23.5	47.6
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.2	0.4
Two or More Races	3.2	4.2
White	61.5	34.9

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

• Teachers
• Administrators
• Other staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Scottsdale Unified School District had 1,294.07 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 16.36.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten:	10.00
Kindergarten:	69.00
Elementary:	704.24
Secondary:	510.83
Total:	1,294.07

Scottsdale Unified School District employed 25.74 district administrators and 69.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators:	25.74
District Administrative Support:	83.74
School Administrators:	69.00
School Administrative Support:	65.51

Other staff, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides:	298.34
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors:	11.00
Total Guidance Counselors:	37.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors:	4.94
Secondary Guidance Counselors:	32.06
Librarians/Media Specialists:	13.10
Library/Media Support:	0.00
Student Support Services:	282.29
Other Support Services:	264.61

Schools

The Scottsdale Unified School District operates 33 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

List of schools

SCHOOL NAME	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	GRADES
Anasazi Elementary	442	PK-5
Arcadia High School	1,602	9-12
Aztec Elementary School	0
Chaparral High School	2,038	9-12
Cherokee Elementary School	659	PK-5
Cheyenne Traditional School	880	PK-8
Cochise Elementary School	615	PK-5
Cocopah Middle School	886	6-8
Copper Ridge Math And Science Academy	0
Copper Ridge Middle School	0
Copper Ridge School	600	PK-8
Coronado High School	740	9-12
Desert Canyon Elementary	496	PK-5
Desert Canyon Middle School	490	6-8
Desert Mountain High School	1,880	9-12
Echo Canyon K-8	320	PK-8
Hohokam Elementary School	441	PK-6
Hopi Elementary School	676	KG-5
Ingleside Middle School	777	6-8
Kiva Elementary School	527	PK-6
Laguna Elementary School	370	PK-5
Mohave Middle School	799	6-8
Mountainside Middle School	550	6-8
Navajo Elementary School	472	PK-6
Pima Elementary School	389	PK-6
Pueblo Elementary School	425	PK-6
Redfield Elementary School	428	PK-6
Saguaro High School	1,466	9-12
Scottsdale Online Learning	224	KG-12
Sequoya Elementary School	548	PK-5
Tavan Elementary School	608	PK-5
Tonalea Middle School	442	6-8
Yavapai Elementary School	387	PK-6

Noteworthy events

2021: Recall effort against four school board members does not go to a vote

See also: Scottsdale Unified School District recall, Arizona (2021)

An effort to recall four of the five members of the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board in Arizona did not go to a vote in 2021.

The recall petitions were filed on August 20, 2021. Patty Beckman, Jann-Michael Greenburg, Julie Cieniawski, and Libby Hart‐Wells were named in the recall petitions. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to submit petitions with 20,935 signatures by December 18, 2021.

The recall petitions were filed after the board voted to require masks in its schools until September 29, 2021, when a state law banning school district mask requirements went into effect. All four members named in the recall petitions voted in favor of the mask requirement. The vote on the mask requirement came after the district announced that more than 600 students had to be quarantined due to having close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Contact information

Scottsdale Unified School District
8500 E. Jackrabbit Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Phone: 480-484-6100

About school boards

Education legislation in Arizona

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Arizona	School Board Elections	News and Analysis
List of school districts in Arizona School board elections in Arizona Public education in Arizona	Arizona school board elections, 2025	United States school shootings, 1990-present

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Scottsdale Unified School District
• Arizona School Boards Association
• Arizona Department of Education