Bonita Elementary named Rural School of the Month

By Callie Boyd, Staff Writer
Published on Monday, May 21, 2007 10:28 AM MST

Short school weeks and dedicated teachers are part of the reason Bonita Elementary School was named the May Rural School of the Month by the Arizona Department of Education.

The school was paid a visit by Sharon Collins, the assistant superintendent to the Arizona Department of Education. Accor-ding to Bonita Superintendent Ed Houser, Collins was impressed by the small school’s quality staff and proceeded to nominate the school for the ADE Rural School of the Month Award.

Bonita Elementary School has an enrollment of 104 students. Sixty percent of the school’s students are enrolled under open enrollment, and there are more on a waiting list. According to Houser, families recognize the quality education offered at Bonita Elementary School and are willing to drive their children a little farther to the small town of Bonita. Houser reported that on average parents drive their children a total of 50 miles per day to meet the school buses that transport students the rest of the way to school. Most of Bonita’s in-district students are traveling in from farms and ranches scattered throughout the area, while the open-enrollment students live around Willcox, making their commute much longer.

Bonita Elementary School was chosen as May’s Rural School of the Month. Pictured is the bell tower and school. Contributed photo

Bonita’s small population encourages parent involvement and community participation in school events. Houser says the thing that sets Bonita Elementary School apart from other rural schools is: “A quality staff that is stable, our small class sizes...Our families have a high value on education that is instilled in their children and then brought to school. These factors together make us an affluent school.”

This is also the second year the school has been recognized as a Highly Performing School, an achievement based on the high AIMS scores of the students. Houser’s strategy was to have his teachers teach to the AIMS standards so that when it is time to take the test, the students are well-prepared.

Bonita has a four-day school week that may also play a part in students’ high performance. Houser said the shorter week was chosen for academic reasons, and now the school day is protected from interruptions, such as athletics and teacher’s in-services, which are held on Fridays.

The shorter week has also boosted the morale of the school. Parents and teachers are happier with a longer weekend, and their enthusiasm has been transferred to the students. This, along with the protected time during the school day, has increased the performance of the students.

Houser said the reasons the school is doing so well are the level of parent involvement, the work ethic of the students and the highly qualified teachers. This is the first award the school has received besides being recognized as a Highly Performing School for the last two years.

When asked if the school is planning to reward students and staff for this honor, Houser said, “We are being intrinsically rewarded. The recognition is reward enough.”

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Comments

9 comment(s)

CJ BELL wrote on Oct 23, 2009 8:36 PM:

" if you want to know the truth just ask me. yes i went to R.R.M.C. in 2007. i am 16 now and i remember every detail that happened there. yes i am sure that some of your claims are true no doubt but the thing is that i had the best month of my life at that camp and i would not trade it for anything. if anything this camp trained me to be mentally and physicaly prepared for my future life and i greatly thank Jeremy for that. PLEASE contact me if you have any questions about camp! "

shawn wrote on Oct 5, 2008 2:49 PM:

" trust me if you want your kid to be scared for life send him or if you dont love him denton is a lying sicopatick crazy guy who the military screwed up "

marley wrote on Sep 9, 2008 9:11 AM:

" WHAT ARE U GUYS TALKING ABOUT WERE TALKIN ABOUT MORENCI MINE COMPANY AND U GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME CAMP YOU SENT UR KIDS TO OR WENT TO? "

concerned parent wrote on Aug 29, 2008 9:28 PM:

" If you really want to get mad about Denton's dishonesty, take a look at his website touting his honesty:
http://www.jeremynegotiates.com/contact.php and how he cuts down other real estate agents in the "shame" page. Maybe complaints to AZ Dept Real Estate would help. "

Louis Womack wrote on Jun 26, 2008 12:21 PM:

" Same here. Our son was to attend on June 21, 2008. Camp cancelled and we are out $2900.00. If you have any info or suggestions pleae contact us. Mr. Denton is employed at Signature Realy Group in Tempe. I did make contact with him there. No luck or even a promise of when we would see a refund. This was a planned rip-off. IMHO "

shawn wrote on Jun 10, 2008 8:48 PM:

" I actually went to this camp and I can tell you one thing most of the counselors were Indians plus we had one that was crazy and got kicked out of the army we also had a guy who shot a kid with a paintball gun without a mask in the head and they all did drugs at night you could smell it and it wasn't the legal kind and everything they promise was a lie hey a kid almost drowned with the storm and another almost bitten by a rattle snake. if you want to know more shawn-007@hotmail.com "

Steve Harrop wrote on Jun 10, 2008 12:26 PM:

" My son was signed up to attend the Aug. 2007 session and one week before camp it was washed out. In Sept. 07 we were told by J. Denton we would get a refund of $3800 within 90 days. No contact since then. As we live in Washington state we don't have any means of getting our money returned. How many other families are in this situation? Is there anything else we can do?

Steve Harrop
Winthrop, WA "

Robyn Pomonis wrote on May 7, 2008 10:31 AM:

" I too am still waiting for a refund of $3800.00. After months of not hearing from them via phone or email, Jeremy Denton called me in November and promised me a refund "by the end of the year". I haven't heard a word from them since, nor have they responded to certified letters nor contact by the BBB. "

Elissa S. Stewart wrote on Nov 28, 2007 2:38 PM:

" My son was supposed to attend the cancelled Operation Noble Eagle on July 29, 2007. I am still waiting for a refund of the $3800 I paid in tuition on November 28, 2007. Jeremy Denton will not commit to a refund date, although he originally assured me I would have one within 90 days. I can provide copies of the emails I have sent and received trying to obtain a refund, and proof of the $3800 I paid ($500 on my credit card for a deposit, and $3300 in the form of a check). "

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