Each year, we have the opportunity to open unimaginable doors to our students. We can direct a portion of our Arizona taxes to specific students, the clubs or activities in which they participate, or a school’s general needs fund!

It’s easy! 

Keep your Arizona state income tax in Vail and decide how YOU want it to be used. Visit vailtaxcredits.org, select a school, and shop for the activity you’d like to fund. You can select any dollar amount up to $400 (married filing jointly) or up to $200 (filing single). Then simply claim it for a dollar-for-dollar credit on your Arizona taxes. 

Your tax credit can provide supplies for students in Chemistry Club, Cooking Club, Robotics Club… Cover a student’s activity fee for football, volleyball, swimming, cross country, orchestra, band, student council… Send a Vail student to learn in Costa Rica, Spain, the Galapagos Islands, New York, Washington D.C.… Some of these activities and educational travel opportunities can be FULLY funded with enough tax credits to cover the entire cost! The possibilities are endless!

However you direct your Arizona Tax Credit, that amount can only go towards supporting the activity that you choose. It’s one of the best ways we have to directly control where our tax dollars are spent. Thank you for your consideration in investing those dollars to better the lives of young people in our own community. 

Visit vailtaxcredits.org to learn more and to select a school and shop for the activity you’d like to fund. Thank you for participating in Vail's motto - Where Education Is a Community Effort!

High School Choice is one of the many ways we seek to serve parents and families and provide the best options for their unique children. High school is such an exciting time in a young person’s life. It is also an exciting time for parents. 

In Vail, we honor parents’ choices and recognize that students have different needs. As a result, Vail has six unique high school options from which to choose. High School Choice is also an opportunity for our young people and their parents to familiarize themselves with the process of visiting schools, considering options for this important phase of life, and determining a best fit… a process that expands to far greater lengths just a few years later.

High School Choice season begins in January. Parents and their 8th grade students will visit open houses and work their way through the different options offered at each of our high schools. If you are unfamiliar with our high school choice program, we welcome you to visit the High School Choice Site to learn more.

Most of the articles selected for my monthly message are celebratory, however, this one is for informational purposes, but please note that it is of critical importance.

For the past 20 years, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) has provided critical transportation projects to Pima County via a half-cent sales tax. These projects include roads, biking and walking paths, bus routes, etc. The RTA sales tax is set to expire at the end of next year. Consideration of future transportation projects are currently being explored for an RTA Next plan and related half-cent sales tax extension that would be placed on the ballot in November 2025. 

The RTA Next would fund projects for another 20 years. Now is also an important time to weigh in and provide your input. 

The Greater Vail area is one of the fastest growing regions in Pima county. That growth is expected to continue over the next 20 years. Without significant improvement, traffic and congestions will only increase while safe travel decreases. Simply, the roadways in our area will struggle to handle the expected growth. 

The RTA Next survey will be open through January 31, 2025. Information about what is being considered for the RTA Next plan can be found here. In addition to the survey, anyone can also complete the online public comment form available at this link: Public Comment - RTA Next. This comment form is open-ended so it may be a better tool if the survey doesn’t accurately capture your feedback. 

Let your voice be heard! Please consider taking the time to fill out the RTA Next Draft Plan survey as our voice matters to get the upgrades that are so needed in the Vail area. Thank you. 

Mica Mountain High School Football Team won the State 4A Championship in only their 3rd season as a varsity program! 

Empire High School Theater students traveled to the Arizona State Thespian Festival. They walked away with a Gold Honor Troupe distinction. Plus their One-Act earned a Superior Award and they received a PERFECT score from all four judges earning them the State One-Act Championship! 

We post all of these exciting events on our social media outlets. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. 

We conducted a test of our emergency contact systems on August 15th. If you did not receive a text during that emergency test, please start by texting START to 98900 to opt in. You can also verify that your phone number is correct by calling the school office. If you did not receive an email, please call the school office to ensure your email address is correct in PowerSchool.

Further, if you have not completed your Returning Student Registration, please do so now. To complete this registration, go to the PowerSchool Parent Portal, select the student you wish to register (each student needs one done each year), select returning annual registration 24-25, and fill out. 

Be sure to check out VAIL EVENTS to learn about MAV Fest coming in January which is also the kick-off for Vail Pride Day with the VPD Fun Run!