Sur, Trailside Point as “Best” Schools

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Vista del Sur and Trailside Point as “Best” Schools

Laveen’s Vista del Sur Accelerated Academy and Trailside Point Performing Arts Academy have been included in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best” elementary and middle school rankings.

Vista del Sur received a “Best” ranking in both the elementary and middle school categories while Trailside Point was recognized as a Best Middle School.

This recognition is based on the schools’ success in educating students from all socioeconomic backgrounds with the goal of preparing them for success in high school.

“Vista and Trailside’s impressive rankings speak to the commitment of the schools’ leadership, teachers, and staff to provide each and every student a quality education,” said Dr. Jeff Sprout, Laveen Superintendent. “Our families must also be commended for the level of support they provide to their children as well as their support of the schools’ educational programs.”

The rankings are based on students’ performance on the 2018-19 mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments and their results in the context of socioeconomic demographics, such as free or reduced-price lunch and underserved ethnicity groups.

U.S. News & World Report predicted math and reading achievement levels based on this data. The greater the actual results compared to the predicted results determined a school’s ranking.

Over 118,000 schools nationwide were included in the rankings. Vista del Sur was one of 5,300 K-8 schools to be included in both the elementary and middle school rankings.

In addition to being named a Best Elementary and Middle School, Vista was named one of the top ten schools in Arizona, being ranked as #6 among Arizona elementary schools and #8 among Arizona middle schools.

Vista del Sur is an accelerated school where all students work a grade level ahead in mathematics and English language arts. The school is a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and an Arizona Educational Foundation A+ School of Excellence. It has historically received an “A” label from the Arizona Department of Education each year.

Trailside Point focuses on the performing arts. It has received the Arizona Educational Foundation’s A+ School of Excellence designation twice and it has received the Gold Achievement Award in Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports (PBIS) each year since 2015.

Learn more at www.LaveenSchools.org.

Community mourns unexpected loss of M.C. Cash Principal Lisa Sandomir

The Laveen community gathered on Wednesday, November 3 to honor the life and work of beloved M.C. Cash Principal Lisa Sandomir. Sandomir passed away October 27 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident that occurred the day prior. She was 54 years old. Sandomir had served as principal of M.C. Cash School since 2005. Under her leadership M.C. Cash adopted the Kids at Hope framework—a belief system that is based on three universal truths: Children succeed when they are surrounded by adults who believe they can succeed, no exceptions; Children succeed when they have meaningful and sustainable relationships with caring adults; Children succeed when they can articulate their future in four domains: Home and Family, Education and Career, Community and Service, and Hobbies and Recreation. The program is built on the premise that all students have anchor adults in their lives.

And, an anchor adult she was. Throughout the evening former students commented how it was their principal, Ms. Sandomir, who always believed in them and encouraged them to succeed. “She always told me ‘you will be someone in life keep pushing.’ She was an amazing leader in the community, educator, and principal she will be missed dearly,” said former student and owner of Dem Tacos David Romero. Romero’s son attended M.C. Cash under Sandomir as well.

At the community gathering, visitors decorated tiles for a mural that will be installed in Ms. Sandomir’s memory, wrote Kids at Hope cards for the anchor adults in their lives, and added to the memorial fence outside the school.

Sandomir was the recipient of the Rodel Education Foundation’s Exemplary Principal Award in 2015 and had received the Laveen School District’s Pinnacle of Leadership Award—the highest honor awarded to an administrator — in both 2014 and 2020. The Arizona Educational Foundation named M.C. Cash School an A+ School of Excellence in 2014 and 2018—a direct result of Sandomir’s strong leadership abilities.