Mesa Public Schools
Mesa Public Schools (incorporated as Mesa Unified School District #4) is the largest public school district in the state of Arizona. Its approximately 64,000 students enjoy opportunities such as Montessori, International Baccalaureate, dual-language immersion, honors and Advanced Placement courses and Franklin traditional schools. MPS serves most of the city of Mesa, plus small portions of Tempe and Chandler. The district has 82 schools, which includes 55 elementary schools, 9 junior high schools, six comprehensive high schools, and several alternative schools. The educator Jack Taylor served on the school board for eight years. He was also the  mayor of Mesa from 1966 to 1972; thereafter a member, consecutively, of both houses of the Arizona State Legislature; a native of Sonora, Texas, he is interred at Mesa City Cemetery. Schools. High schools. High schools (9-12) as listed by Mesa Public Schools: Junior high schools. Junior high schools (7-8) as listed by Mesa Public Schools: Mesa Public Schools operated two other junior high schools until 2009-2010 school year. Hendrix Junior High School consolidated with the adjoining Frost Elementary School as the K-8 Summit Academy with an International Baccalaureate Program. Hendrix had the husky as its mascot  and used the colors red and gray. Powell Junior High School (colors red, white, and blue, mascot the Patriots) closed in May 2010. The former campus serves as the Mesa Educational Center, home to the district's Community Education Department, East Valley Academy and Crossroads. Mesa Jr closed at the end of the 2011-2012 school year and was demolished in January 2014 - Plans for new park in 2014 are upcoming. Brimhall Jr High closed at the end of the 2011-2012 school year - converted to Franklin school Elementary schools. Elementary schools (K-6) as listed by Mesa Public Schools: Frost  Elementary consolidated with the adjoining Hendrix Junior High in 2010-11 to become the K-8 Summit Academy. Alternative school. Alternative schools (named "Focus Schools" by the district) as listed by Mesa Public Schools: