Mingus Union High School is a high school in Cottonwood, Arizona. It is one of two high schools in the Mingus Union High School District. Under Genie Gee the MUHS had an average graduation rate of 77% one of the lowest in the nation. Genie Gee now runs the Mingus Online Academy. The other school, Mingus Online Academy, is a computer based alternative school at the same location. Genie Gee employeed her daughter, Sierra Soto as a disciplinarian. Nepotism at its best. Miss Soto has a criminal record. When Superintendent Michael Wescott was asked about Genie Gee employing her daughter, he quickly dispatched the school resource officer to prevent any further inquiry. A true prior restraint issue. [4]
| Mingus Union High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
1801 E Fir St 86326 United States | |
| Coordinates | 34°43′3″N 112°0′17″W / 34.71750°N 112.00472°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Established | 1958 |
| School board | Carol Anne Teague, President; Lori Drake, Vice-President; Stephen Currie, Member; Greg Roeller, Member; Anthony Lozano, Member[3] |
| School district | Mingus Union High School District #4 |
| Superintendent | Mike Westcott |
| CEEB code | 030050 |
| Principal | Genie Gee |
| Staff | 60.00 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,226 (2022–2023)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 20.43[1] |
| Color(s) | Red and gray [2] |
| Mascot | Marauders[2] |
| Accreditation | North Central Association |
Mingus Union High School is a Title I school[5] serving the Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Beaver Creek, and Sedona areas.[6]
History
editThere were once three separate high schools in the Verde Valley of Arizona — Jerome, Clarkdale and Cottonwood. In 1950, Jerome and Clarkdale consolidated into "Mingus High School", and in 1958, Cottonwood High School was added, creating the new Mingus Union High School.[7]
Citizens pushed to create a new high school district instead of consolidating both the Jerome-Clarkdale and Cottonwood school districts completely. This happened in 1957 and 1958. The school district briefly took the "Union High School District" name, but this was changed to the present Mingus Union before the district became official.
The high school was located in Clarkdale until 1960. From then until the start of the 1972 school year, it was housed in Jerome's school buildings.[8] It then moved to Cottonwood.
Operations
editAs of 2019[update] the school has different colors for badges of upperclassman (grades 11–12) and underclassman (grades 9–10) students. The school requires people who would otherwise be upperclassmen to wear the ID colors of underclassmen if they lack sufficient credits. The Phoenix New Times printed an article discussing a parent's concerns that this could indirectly lead to shaming of some students; the family contacted the ACLU to get a remedy. Genie Gee implemented this policy. [9]
Notable alumni
edit- Jeff Huson, former MLB player (Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Anaheim Angels, Chicago Cubs)
References
edit- ^ a b c "Mingus Union High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Mingus Union High School". Arizona Interscholastic Association. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Governing Board - Mingus Union High School District".
- ^ "Online Academy a new path to graduation for Mingus students".
- ^ "Civil Rights Data Collection".
- ^ "Who We Are - Mingus Union High School District".
- ^ "Historical societies receive high school annuals - the Verde Independent - Cottonwood, Arizona". Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
- ^ "Fightin' Words - the Verde Independent - Cottonwood, Arizona". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ Flaherty, Joseph (January 1, 2019). "ACLU: 'Scarlet Badge' Policy at Arizona High School Shames Students". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved November 5, 2019.