Schools

Public, Private School Options in Ocotillo Area Will Suit All Students

The Ocotillo community in Chandler, Arizona, is served by the Chandler Unified School District, a 37,000-student district with 40 schools: 29 elementary schools, five junior high schools, four high schools and two alternative schools. Public school students who live in Ocotillo attend Hamilton High School, Bogle Junior High School and one of several elementary schools. The Liberty campus of the Chandler Traditional Academy is also in the Ocotillo community. Chandler public schools have a good reputation in the community and are well-regarded for both their curriculum and extracurricular activities.

Among the goals of Chandler Unified School District’s school board are to enhance learning opportunities for all students in a safe environment, to have students show progress in meeting national, state and district assessment standards and to further assist students by providing professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. To meet these goals, the district has made developing a rigorous curriculum a high priority.

Curriculum and Extracurricular Choices for Every Interest

At the high school level, the curriculum includes a wide range of Advanced Placement and honors courses and vocational training. Foreign language offerings include French, German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and American Sign Language. The Industrial Education Department offers courses in topics including automotive technology, graphic design, architectural drafting and television production.

In addition to a challenging curriculum, junior high and high school students can participate in a wide variety of athletic and other extracurricular programs. At Hamilton High School, athletics offerings include popular sports such as football, basketball, soccer, baseball and softball as well as tennis, swimming, diving, badminton and wrestling, among others. Students are also able to participate in dozens of curricular and non-curricular clubs and activities. Curricular offerings include the book and film club, ceramics, drama, foreign language clubs, theater, band and orchestra. Non-curricular offerings include aikido, hockey, dance, scrapbooking and scuba diving clubs. Bogle Junior High also offers a full complement of athletics and activities for students, which they can build on and carry through to their high school years.

Other School Choices in Chandler

The Chandler Unified School District isn’t the only option for school-age children in Chandler. The area has a host of private and parochial schools and also several charter schools. Charter school choices include facilities serving only the elementary school grades, those serving elementary and junior high students and high school charter facilities. Charter schools are public institutions governed by the state board of education or the state board of charter schools. They may not be required to adhere to all requirements of other public schools, but they must comply with state laws to receive public funding. These schools provide parents with additional options when it comes to their children’s education.

Chandler is also home to several Montessori schools. Montessori is an educational philosophy based on children’s natural learning tendencies. Parochial school choices in Chandler include both Christian and Catholic schools, including a Catholic high school and a Christian high school.

For the parents of Ocotillo youngsters not yet old enough for kindergarten, preschool options abound. Numerous daycare facilities in the area offer preschool programs, and many churches also offer early-learning curriculums. The city of Chandler’s community services department also includes a number of preschool programs among its many offerings open to all city residents.