PO Box 7900/East Hwy 160 Rt. 98 Shonto, Arizona 86054
Phone (928)672-3516/3518 Fax (928)672-3503
Community
Shonto is a part of the Navajo Indian Reservation in the northeast corner of Arizona. Located about 20 miles from the Utah/Arizona border, many community members still live in homes with no access to running water or electricity. Most homes are accessible only by dirt roads because of the remoteness of the Shonto Chapter community. There is one trading post and a post office beside the chapter house that serves local patrons. Families still depend on livestock for income, but local tribal services such as the clinic and schools employ some community members.
History
Shonto Preparatory Technology High School was established in 1999 by local visionaries and educators to develop a local secondary institution readily accessible to rural communities, to elimate prolonged commutes for students, encourage parental involvement and introcuce a challenging curriculum to empower local students. The first years of SPTHS served sixth thru tenth grades. As the years progressed, SPTHS transitioned to a 9th-12th grade school with our first graduating class walking the stage in 2001. In March of 2005 groundbreaking ceremonies began on the new high school and was completed in August of 2006. We are currently located in the new high school building with a cafetorium, 17 classrooms, and a vocational building.
High School
Shonto Preparatory School has open enrollment and admission is not limited or based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, income level, disability, religion, language and/or abilities. There are no tuition fees for attending the Shonto Preparatory Technology High School. Our school is a small and innovative charter with goals of becoming the premier public high school with vigorous academic classes, use of cultural knowledge, and technology in our classrooms. The founders sought to develop an exceptional school with high academic standards accessible to students in isolated areas of the western portion of the Navajo Nation. Our plan is to integrate project-based learning and technology using cultural teaching methods across the curriculum. We currently have an enrollment of 150 students in grades 9-12. There is a K-8 elementary school located on the Shonto school campus which is a combined grant/charter school with 550 students in grades Pre K through 8.