Queen Creek Unified School District superintendent looks forward to new school year

"I know last school year was unique and we faced  challenges, but I am proud of how our staff and families rose to that challenge."”

Perry Berry, superintendent, Queen Creek Unified School District

Queen Creek Unified School District empowers each student and staff member to achieve excellence in all pursuits and lead with integrity. I know last school year was unique and we faced  challenges, but I am proud of how our staff and families rose to that challenge.

QCUSD was one of the first school districts in Arizona to open for in-person learning and in doing so we became a role model for other districts locally and nationally. QCUSD truly is a national leader in education.

Queen Creek Unified is one of the fastest-growing school districts in our state. Our growth continued through the pandemic. While many school districts saw enrollment decline last school year (20-21), QCUSD’s enrollment grew by more than 1,100 students, and that enrollment increase carried into this upcoming school year. We are currently 300 students over enrollment projections for the 21-22 school year.

The Queen Creek Unified School District is one of the fastest-growing school districts in Arizona. Queen Creek Unified consists of nine kindergarten through sixth-grade schools, two seventh-grade through eighth-grade junior high schools, one seventh- through 12th-grade high school, one ninth through 12th-grade high school, and one K-12 virtual academy. We offer a quality educational program with our top-notch educators and support staff. We are dedicated to providing a challenging learning  experience for our students in a caring, supportive environment.

Since 2015, we have added more than 600,000 square feet of new learning space in the form of existing school renovations/additions and new schools; and we anticipate being a district of 14 to 17 schools by 2030. Under the governance of our board, we are committed to growing our district responsibly. To achieve this goal, the board has called for a bond election this year. If voters approve the 2021 bond, the monies will be put toward renovating all existing schools, as well as building our third high school and several elementary schools. Enrollment growth contributes to more opportunities for students and employees.

If approved, the 2021 bond will enhance curriculum resources, improve our career and technical education program, provide upgrades for fine arts and athletics, as well as improve access to technology across all school sites.

Our goal as a district is to provide a quality education with the belief that all children can learn. We are proud of the comprehensive pre-K through 12th-grade academic programs we offer to meet the needs of all of our students. We have quality programs in regular education, gifted, special education and early childhood, as well as career and technical, and alternative high school services.

Over the past six years, the business team with governing board approval/support, has raised teacher base pay from $35,250 to $46,000. Our teacher base pay is one of the most competitive in the East Valley. Additionally, all QCUSD staff members have received an annual raise since 2016.

Applicant pools for nearly every position in QCUSD are very deep. Over the past six years, we have onboarded 2,303 new hires. QCUSD is a great place to work.

Perry Berry is the superintendent of the Queen Creek Unified School District.