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District Overview

Sanders Unified School District Overview

Sanders Unified School District #18 (SUSD) is located in Sanders, Arizona. The District includes 3 schools, Sanders Elementary School, Sanders Middle School, and Valley High School.

The Sanders Unified School District has 17 students for every full-time equivalent teacher, with the Arizona state average being 20 students per full-time equivalent teacher. The Sanders Unified School District also serves 15 percent of English Language Learners (ELL). ELL students are those in the process of acquiring and learning English language skills.

This small settlement on the Rio Puerco of the west sits some 42 miles west of Gallup, New Mexico, at the junction of I-40 and U.S. Highway 191. Sanders' Navajo name is Lichii Deez ahi, translated to English meaning, "Horizontal Red Point", a name that is said to refer to the autumn color of deer populating this region, rather than the color of the local sandstone mesas.

There are many opportunities for parents and families to get involved in the education process and help students succeed. Research indicates that the most accurate indicator of a student's academic success in school isn't tied to a family's income or social status, but to which a family:

  • Creates a home environment that encourages learning.
  • Sets high but realistic achievement and career expectations.
  • Is involved in the child's education and in the community.

In addition, when parents are actively involved with a child's education, the student is more likely to have higher grades, greater self-esteem and to be socially well-adjusted. We encourage you to become active in your child's education.

Thank you for partnering with us to give your child a quality education.

Our District Goals

  1. Sanders Unified School District will increase student achievement district-wide by at least 15% each school year in the areas of reading, mathematics, social studies, and science as measured by the yearly state assessment.
  2. Sanders Unified School District will provide focused, data-driven and job-embedded professional development for all district staff at least two times per month.
  3. Sanders Unified School District will increase community outreach by providing district information to the school community through at least four student academic showcases and a minimum of ten positive teacher-to-parent contacts each school week.

Vision, Mission, and Core Values

Vision: Committed to student achievement and lifelong learning.

Mission: The Sanders Unified School District and communities are committed to empower every individual by providing a quality, equitable, culture-based education to build lifelong learners and tomorrow’s leaders.

Values: Pride, Integrity, Respect, Attitude, Teamwork, Empowerment, Success

Home of the Dauntless Pirates. "See with one eye, feel with the other."