| Canyon State Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 20061 E. Rittenhouse Road Queen Creek, Arizona, 85142 United States |
|
| Information | |
| School type | Public charter high school |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 152 students (Oct. 1, 2010) |
| Color(s) | Maroon, gray |
| Mascot | Rams |
| Accreditation(s) | North Central Association |
| Information | (480) 987-9700 |
| Website | canyonstateacademy.com |
Canyon State Academy is a public charter, all-boys alternative high school in Queen Creek, Arizona. Its goal is to be a home for troubled boys that need skills development and counseling. Its 173-acre campus offers a variety of programs, from temporary shelter to long-term residence. It is operated by Rite of Passage, which provides programs to at-risk youth. It is one of four Arizona Interscholastic Association-member single-sex high schools, along with Brophy College Preparatory/Xavier College Preparatory and Mingus Mountain Academy, with which it partners for some events.
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The school started as the Arizona Boys Ranch in 1948 and later included several facilities in Oracle, Queen Creek, and elsewhere. The original mascot in the ABR era was the Spartans, and colors were green and white.[1]
In the 1990s, ABR football was a successful program, making it to three straight state final games in the 3A Conference of the Arizona Interscholastic Association and three straight losses during the 63-game winning streak of Blue Ridge High School from Pinetop-Lakeside.
On March 2, 1998, Nicholaus Contreraz died at the Boys Ranch due to abusive conditions.[2] The result was devastating. On August 27, 1998, the Boys Ranch lost its operating license. It was later reinstated (by October 7),[3] but the effects echoed. Once an AIA 3A school whose enrollment hit 458 kids in 1998[4] , it had 45 after California pulled the students it fed to ABR out, making it one of Arizona's smallest high schools. Its Oracle facility had been closed, centering all activity on the Queen Creek location. ABR football collapsed into a mere shadow of its former self.
Frank Kush was tied to Boys Ranch football: the colors and mascot were a nod to his alma mater (Michigan State University), and the training facility was named for him. He started working at the ranch in 1986 (after the demise of his Arizona Outlaws of the USFL), later helping to start the football program in 1994.
In March 2000, the name of the school was changed to Canyon State Academy, largely as part of reimaging. Later, new colors and mascot were introduced by new operators Rite of Passage, largely to standardize with some of their other high school programs, such as Silver State Academy in Yerington, Nevada.[5]