Catalina Foothills School District earned a straight-A report card in the state's annual school ratings, with each of its campuses receiving the top mark for the 2025-26 school year.

The Arizona State Board of Education released the annual A-F letter grades on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Catalina Foothills was among several districts to earn an overall A rating, along with Vail, Marana, Flowing Wells and Tanque Verde, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

Vail ranked first in the state among districts with 10 or more schools, the Star reported. Vail Superintendent John Carruth told the Star the results reflect sustained work by staff and students.

Amphitheater Public Schools received a B at the district level, according to the Star. Individual Amphi campuses posted strong results, though. Nine of the district's K-8 schools earned A's, seven earned B's and one earned a C, according to KOLD 13 News. Among Amphi's high schools, two earned A's and one earned a B.

CFSD's six rated K-8 schools and its high school all earned A's, according to KOLD. District grades are calculated by averaging the letter grades from individual schools, the Star reported.

The grades measure student academic growth, proficiency in English language arts, math and science, English-learner progress, graduation rates and college-and-career readiness indicators, according to the Arizona State Board of Education. The state describes an A school as "excellent" and a B school as "highly performing," according to the Star.

Letter grades are "important considerations" for parents choosing a school but are not the only measure of performance, the board notes.

Statewide picture

Across Arizona, about 42% of public schools received A's and 40% received B's in the 2025-26 ratings, the Star reported. The number of K-8 schools earning an A grew by about 60 compared to the previous year, the Star reported, citing the Arizona Republic. That shift pushed the share of K-8 A schools from 35% to 40%.

AZ Capitol Times reported on X that the 2025-26 cycle marks the final year schools will be evaluated under the current accountability system. The state board has not confirmed that change on its website.

Schools that want to challenge their grades have until Nov. 16, 2026, at 5 p.m. MST, to file an appeal, according to the state board. The board's A-F Appeals Committee reviews appeals, with decisions at the January board meeting.