Mica Mountain High School

Mica Mountain High School
Address
Map
10800 E. Valencia Road

Tucson
,
Arizona
85747

United States
Coordinates32°07′08″N 110°45′07″W / 32.11889°N 110.75194°W / 32.11889; -110.75194
Information
TypePublic
OpenedAugust 10, 2020
School districtVail Unified School District
PrincipalNemer Hassey
Teaching staff63.44 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,161 (2022–2023)[1]
Student to teacher ratio18.30[1]
Color(s)Black, powder blue and silver
      [2]
MascotThunderbolts, Warthogs (Maverick and Skye)
Websitemmhs.vailschooldistrict.org

Mica Mountain High School is a high school in Tucson, Arizona, the fourth public high school operated by the Vail Unified School District.

History

A $61.3 million bond narrowly passed by Vail School District voters, by a margin of 483 votes, in November 2018 allowed the school district to move forward with the first phase of the Mica Mountain project, for which $35 million was earmarked.[3] The district direly needed to build the first phase to alleviate overcrowding that had led to high school gyms and libraries being used as overflow classrooms.[3] Additionally, the Vail Inclusive Preschool program, which had been housed at Cienega High School, would relocate to an expanded space on the new campus.[3] Land was acquired in May 2019 for the school; both the $6.5 million land cost and a further $22 million toward construction were contributed by the Arizona School Facilities Board.[4]

Nemer Hassey, who had been the former Cienega High football coach, was tapped to lead the new school. A 200-member committee handled school design, including naming and mascot selection; Mica Mountain is the highest peak in the Rincon Mountains, while the Thunderbolts moniker refers to the summer monsoons and the A-10 Thunderbolts at nearby Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Mica Mountain High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Spears, Justin (April 24, 2020). "Mica Mountain High School won't name first-ever varsity football coach for months; who could it be?". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Bailey, Brenna (November 23, 2018). "Passage of $61.3 million bond allows Vail to tackle overcrowded schools". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  4. ^ Gibson, Anne (July 2019). "Nemer Hassey to Lead Mica Mountain High School" (PDF). The Vail Voice. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved August 23, 2020.