Surprise school district recalls year's successes

“A”-rated Dysart Unified School District recently celebrated its successes for the year.

For the third year in a row, Dysart received an “A” rating from the state of Arizona. Overall, 100% of its schools achieved either an “A” or “B” rating, with 19 schools earning an “A”, and five earning a “B”.

All district high schools earned an “A” rating from U.S. News & World Report.

Freedom Traditional Academy ranked No. 13 overall out of 1,359 K-8 schools in Arizona. When looking at subject areas, Freedom moves even higher, ranking fourth statewide in math proficiency and No. 3 in English language arts proficiency.

Fifteen of the top 16 elementary schools in Surprise and El Mirage are Dysart schools, and 15 DUSD schools scored in the top 25% statewide. Additionally, the district was named the Best Public School District in the West Valley in the 2026 West Valley Favorites awards for the fourth consecutive year.

Also notable is Dysart High School became the fourth school in the district to be named an Arizona Purple Star School for its support of military-connected families.

For fiscal responsibility, DUSD earned the Arizona Association of School Business Officials Certificate of Excellence in financial reporting for the 30th year in a row. Additionally, the Government Finance Officers Association awarded the district the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in financial reporting for the 21st straight year.

Administrative costs in Dysart (8.5%) are lower than the state average (10.4%) and those of peer districts. To see budget details, visit Dysart.org/Budget.

DUSD seniors earned a combined $47.3 million in college scholarships, and graduates also picked up 872 Arizona state seals of personal finance and civics literacy. Students earned recognition through College Board national recognition awards, numerous scholarships, including QuestBridge, Dorrance, Dell and Gates and national writing competitions. Shadow Ridge High School even had a National Merit finalist.

Students excelled in the arts as Dysart was named the Best Music School in the 2026 West Valley Favorites awards. Students earned 274 AZ State Seals of Arts Proficiency this year, the highest count ever.

Two of the district’s high schools earned multiple top honors at the 2026 Oceanside Sound-Off! competition, including first- and second-place finishes, and best in the competition for musicianship, showmanship, a Cappella and soloist awards.

Students also received multiple Best Performer recognitions across several show choir divisions. There were also 23 students selected for AZ All-State Show Choir between all four high schools.

Arizona Thespians gave Shadow Ridge the ranking “overall superior” for its rendition of “Diary of Anne Frank.” SRHS became the first district school selected to perform on the mainstage at the state conference.

In athletics, DUSD’s high schools celebrated several state championships, including Valley Vista’s girls basketball and unified badminton titles, and Shadow Ridge’s cheer partner stunt team.

Shadow Ridge’s volleyball team was selected to receive an AIA Sportsmanship Award, and numerous student-athletes received all-region and all-conference titles. Twenty-seven student-athletes were named AIA Players of the Year, seven coaches were named Coach of the Year, and a student was named to the AZ Cardinals Flag Football All-Star Team.

The 2026-2027 school year begins on Thursday, Aug. 6. Enrollment can be completed at Dysart.org/Enroll.