Agua Fria board OKs new medical academy, fire and rescue pathway

The Agua Fria High School District Governing Board unanimously approved the creation of a new Medical Academy and a Fire & Rescue work-study pathway, clearing the way for two major career-focused programs aimed at addressing local workforce shortages in healthcare and emergency services.

“These innovative programs aim to provide immersive, career-focused pathways that align with regional workforce needs,” Deputy Superintendent of Academics Phillip Nowlin told the board during the presentation.

The district’s Medical Academy will serve an estimated 800 to 1,000 students and offer three specialized healthcare pathways:

• A clinical, degree-seeking track leading toward careers such as registered nursing and medicine
•  A clinical certification track offering credentials such as pharmacy technician, ultrasound technician, surgical technician and medical assistant
• A nonclinical track focused on healthcare technology, risk management, finance and administration

Plans also include a public-facing clinic, a medical simulation lab modeled on Banner Health’s Mesa facility and dual enrollment options through higher-education partners.

District leaders said they studied long-established medical academies in Texas and California, as well as Banner Health facilities, while shaping the proposal.
Groundbreaking is anticipated in summer 2026, with an opening targeted for fall 2028.

The Fire & Rescue pathway, based at Verrado and Desert Edge high schools, will begin with Level 1 coursework in the 2026–27 school year and expand to a three-year sequence. The program will include field experiences, ride-alongs and stackable credentials.

The initiative is a partnership with Buckeye Fire Department and Rescue Ready, a nonprofit EMS educator. Students who complete the program will graduate eligible for employment with certifications including EMT, Firefighter I & II and CPAT.

Buckeye Fire Chief Keith Rhodes said the collaboration helps address national shortages in public safety personnel.

“It becomes a recruitment tool, early access and early exposure for students,” Rhodes said. “We have to be a little more creative, and this gives us that opportunity.”

Courtney Rios of Rescue Ready said the goal is to build well equipped, homegrown talent for local fire agencies.

“By the time students graduate, they’ll have everything they need to apply to a fire station,” she said.

The Fire & Rescue program will be funded entirely through a West-MEC grant and will not affect school staffing levels, officials said. Costs for the Medical Academy are still being finalized as land acquisition and facility planning continue.

The unanimous vote clears the way for detailed planning to begin immediately. District officials say the initiatives will help ensure students have access to high-wage, high-demand career paths while providing local employers with a pipeline of trained, work-ready graduates in the years ahead.

Visit aguafria.org for more information.