Superstition Mountain Classical Academy to open in ‘25 in Apache Junction

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Superstition Mountain Elementary School, which has been closed since 2015, is reopening in July 2025 with a new name — Superstition Mountain Classical Academy, for grades K-5.

The Apache Junction Unified School District Governing Board on July 23 approved the change in a unanimous vote. Board member Gail Ross voted by phone.

It is the district’s response to the planned opening of a charter school. Great Hearts Academies is to open at Blossom Rock in south Apache Junction in fall 2026.

“We know to the south of us they want to open a classical academy, so that means they want to take our kids who would be coming here from down south or who are here to go down south. So my recommendation to you — to this board — is that we open a classical academy so we keep our kids and we attract our kids down south,” Superintendent Robert Pappalardo said prior to the vote. “Because that’s obviously a target for that charter school and so that means they’ve done their research about who they believe would attend one.”

SMES closed as part of an effort by AJUSD to make up a $2.7 million budget shortfall during the 2015-16 school year, according to the archives of the Apache Junction Independent.

The school, northwest of the corner of Southern Avenue and Ironwood Drive in Apache Junction, had been leased to a church with a theater and more recently turned into the home for the district’s The Learning Center, which offers an early intervention developmental preschool program, a Kickstart to Kindergarten program, before-school care and a day care program.

AJUSD has three elementary schools, a junior high school and a high school. The district’s boundaries run from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.

AJUSD is now a parents’-choice district, where a student can attend any of the three elementary schools. A Spanish dual-language immersion program at Four Peaks Elementary and a GenTech STEM program at Peralta Trail Elementary are both starting in the 2024-25 school year, according to the district’s website.

Board discussion

Board member Bobby Bauders said he supports the name change, but it will always be SMES to him.

“I’m really excited about this,” he said. “I was so sad when they closed it originally all those years ago so I’m really happy to see it reopening again fully.”

Board member Gail Ross said by phone that she likes that the elementary schools are to have a specialty.

“And I think that is a tremendous way to have our children educated so the parents can choose what direction they want to go in,” she said.

Ross also said she is anxious to see what the district’s specialty will be for Desert Vista Elementary School.

Board member Cami Garcia said she will miss the old name of the school.

“I am a little sad about changing the name,” she said. “I am glad to see it opening again.”

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.