Chinle Unified School District No. 24 (CUSD) is a public
unified school district
A unified school district (in the states of Arizona, California, Kansas and Oregon) or unit school district (in Illinois), in the United States of America, is a school district that generally includes and operates both primary schools (kindergarten ...
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, on the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
, United States. It is managed by a five-member elected school board, each of whom is Navajo, and operates by state rules. As of 2020, nearly all of the district's 3600 students are Navajo.
CUSD serves several
unincorporated areas
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
Lukachukai
Lukachukai ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,701 at the 2010 census. It is within the Navajo Nation.
Etymology
Lukachukai comes from a Navajo word translated as "a fi ...
Sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
.
The district has an area of . Its buses travel 6000 miles per day to transport students to and from the schools. It is within the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
.
History
Chinle Unified School District was organized by the state of Arizona and Apache County in 1958. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. A district gathering at the Wildcat Den, the community arena, on July 25, 2008 celebrated this milestone event.
In July 1983 the
Red Mesa Unified School District
Red Mesa Unified School District #27 is a public school district headquartered in Red Mesa, unincorporated Apache County, Arizona, near Teec Nos Pos on the Navajo Nation.Navajo people, a.k.a. Diné. In 1998 the district had more than 4,500 students, with 95% being Navajo.
Schools
;High school
*
Chinle High School
Chinle High School is a public high school (grades 9 to 12) in Chinle, an unincorporated area of Apache County, Arizona, United States. The school is the only high school in the Chinle Unified School District, and all of the district's elementar ...
; K-8 schools
* Many Farms Public School, serves 425 students
* Tsaile Public School – In proximity to
Diné College
Diné College is a public tribal land-grant college in Tsaile, Arizona, serving the Navajo Nation. It offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and academic certificates.
Campus
The main campus of Diné College is in Tsaile, a census-des ...
;Junior high/middle schools
* Chinle Junior High School
;Primary schools (K–6)
* Mesa View Elementary School
* Chinle Elementary School
* Canyon De Chelly Elementary School – This school serves approximately 600 students in Chinle. The community of Chinle is located next to the Canyon De Chelly National Monument. The school is approximately 97% Navajo.
File:Chinlejh.jpg, Chinle Junior High School
File:Chinleelementary2.jpg, Chinle Elementary School
File:Chinlemesaview.jpg, Mesa View Elementary School
Former schools
The following were reassigned when the
Red Mesa Unified School District
Red Mesa Unified School District #27 is a public school district headquartered in Red Mesa, unincorporated Apache County, Arizona, near Teec Nos Pos on the Navajo Nation.
* Red Mesa Elementary School
* Red Mesa Junior High School
*
Red Mesa High School
Red Mesa High School is a high school in Red Mesa in an unincorporated area of Apache County, Arizona,
Other facilities
The district operates multiple housing complexes for employees. CKC Phase II Homes and CKC Phase III Homes are next to the district headquarters in Chinle. CJHS Bobcat Homes is adjacent to Chinle Elementary School and Chinle Junior High School. Many Farms Homes and Tsaile Homes are in those respective communities.
Transportation
over 60% of the bus routes include unpaved roads, something that increases wear and tear on the buses.