Buckeye Elementary Crowned West Valley's Best | The Locally Times
Buckeye Elementary School District earns top honors in the 2026 Best of the Best Awards, while Tempe Union High School District celebrates A+ schools and national academic success, showcasing a strong year for Phoenix-area education.
West Valley parents looking for top-tier education now have a clear frontrunner: Buckeye Elementary School District has officially been named the Best School District in the West Valley for 2026. This significant local recognition comes as the Phoenix metropolitan area celebrates broader educational excellence, with Tempe Union High School District also announcing two high schools earned A+ Schools of Excellence awards and 25 seniors achieved National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist status. These accolades across both the West Valley and Tempe areas underscore a strong year for regional education, potentially influencing school enrollment decisions and community appeal. The district's success extends beyond academics, also earning a Reader Recommended status for Best Place to Work. Further individual recognition went to Mrs. Garr of WestPark Elementary, honored as a Reader Recommended Best Elementary School Teacher. These distinctions, attributed to the 2026 Best of the Best Awards and published by West Valley View, highlight BESD's comprehensive appeal. The district's public announcement, however, did not detail the specific criteria used by the Best of the Best Awards for these designations. ## Tempe Union High Schools Earn Elite A+ Status Across the Phoenix metro, Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD) is celebrating its own set of significant achievements. Tempe High School and McClintock High School both earned the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF®) A+ Schools of Excellence® award for 2026, a distinction TUHSD's March 31 newsroom update describes as the highest state-level honor for public schools in Arizona. This coveted award recognizes schools for outstanding academic programs, robust student achievement, and vibrant school communities that actively foster student success. ## National Merit Scholars Highlight District's Academic Prowess TUHSD's academic prowess is further underscored by its 25 seniors named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented students, representing less than one percent of U.S. graduates, are now eligible to compete for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships, totaling approximately $26 million, scheduled for award in spring 2026. This national recognition, detailed in a March 31 TUHSD newsroom update, complements the district's overall A-rated status, which includes five individual A-rated schools, as highlighted in a separate March 31 news column container from the district.