School History


Foothills Academy was born in 1993 as a private school. In 1995 it became one of Arizona's first recognized charter schools. We started out in a tiny two-room building on Basin Road (below). Co-Directors Don Senneville and Penelope Price shared a single desk in a small alcove between the classrooms. They taught all the Social Studies classes, a part-time teacher handled Science and Math, and a volunteer secretary ran the front desk. Ringing phones could be heard throughout the building. Space was at a premium as 30 students went about their daily routines in a facility not much larger than the average garage. In point of fact, the building today is exactly that — a garage. Classes were often held outside at picnic tables, under a ramada, or off-site during wilderness camping and field trips. It was an auspicious beginning for a school that dared to try something new.

Our original logo (above) reflected a mountain vista theme in environmental colors. We took it with us to our second campus in 1995.

In 1995 we moved to more spacious quarters on the northeast corner of Cave Creek and Schoolhouse Road (below). By 2001 we had grown to a student body of 125 with 8 classrooms, 10 full-time faculty, and 3 administrators. It was during these years that Foothills Academy established itself as a leader in the Arizona charter school movement, posting high scores on standardized tests and nearly 100% college placement of graduates.

Our new logo (above) was created in 2000 using a bold two-color design to reflect our growing and dynamic organization. As the artist explained, the first and final letters merge with the background to symbolize the seamless integration of our graduates with the world beyond Foothills.

This panorama shows the south side of our campus. We had a nice tree-covered courtyard between the buildings; it was great for school assemblies when the weather was nice. Parked on the right is our faithful "school bus." It could seat 12 for a small field trip, but was often supplemented by faculty and parent "buses."
Meet our entire 2001 student body, faculty, and administration (assembled on the basketball court during a routine fire drill). It was a larger group compared to our Basin Road days, but we all still knew each other on a first-name basis.
It was here, in 1999, that we chose our school mascot. The blackhawk is known for its speed, intelligence, and strength ... an apt metaphor. Black Mountain was just south of our campus. We hiked its trails and enjoyed its views. Coach Terry Mullane cites it as a source of inspiration for our choice of mascot. Foothills teams have earned respect in the Charter Athletic Association and the Independent Youth Athletic Association, our two competitive venues.
 
In 2002 we began the school year at our newly constructed facility on Ashler Hills Drive in Scottsdale (below). Our little community expanded to 260 students, served by 8 administrators and 18 faculty. This is about as large as we'll get. We all still know each other by face and name, and that's a good thing we don't want to lose. There's a "critical mass" effect that appears when enrollment reaches around 200 or so. With that many students to draw from, athletics, clubs, arts, and many other facets of school life become more dynamic and self-sustaining. But we're not really a "big" school. We never aspired to be. We like where we're at right now.

Our new campus incorporates several innovative construction methods including stucco over straw bale walls for thermal mass and insulation, large soffit overhangs for passive solar, and energy efficient lighting and HVAC systems. Designing for the 21st century, we have provided 12 full-size classrooms, a modern science lab, 24-station Computer Resource Center with broadband internet access, 2000 sq.ft multi-purpose room with adjacent covered patio, sports court, and a spacious and inviting central mall. It's a beautiful campus, and a model learning environment.