Catalina Foothills High School (Catalina Foothills, Foothills, or CFHS) is a public high school in the suburban community of Catalina Foothills, just north of Tucson, Arizona. It is the only high school in the Catalina Foothills School District. Founded in 1992, the school has approximately 1,650 students in grades nine through twelve. The school mascot is the peregrine falcon, and the school colors are blue and silver. Based on the percentage of students passing or exceeding Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards standardized test, Catalina Foothills is one of the top high schools in the state. Annually, Catalina Foothills averages over 10 National Merit Finalists.[2]
Prior to the establishment of Catalina Foothills, some district students attended high school in the Tucson Unified School District and the rest primarily in the Amphitheater district. The establishment of Catalina Foothills was postponed several decades due to the ability of district students to attend high school in neighboring school districts.[3]
Construction began in 1991 on a 40-acre (160,000 m2) site centrally located in the district. The Catalina Foothills School Board had acquired the site in the late 1970s. The school opened to the ninth grade in 1992 when classes met at a district middle school. In 1993 campus was opened to ninth and tenth graders, and the first graduating class of Foothills High walked in late spring 1996.[3]
Catalina Foothills High School offers a comprehensive academic program with over 150 courses, including Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for college and career success, with a strong emphasis on challenging coursework.
AP Courses Offered (2024-2025): AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Chinese Language & Culture, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Microeconomics, AP Music Theory, AP Psychology, AP Physics C, AP Research, AP Seminar, AP Spanish Language & Culture, AP Spanish Literature & Culture, AP Statistics, AP Studio Art: 2-D Design, AP Studio Art: 3-D Design, AP US Government, AP US History, AP World History: Modern.
Career and Technical Education (CTE): CFHS offers comprehensive Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways in various fields such as computer programming, digital photography, media productions, business management, graphic design, technical theatre, bioscience, sports medicine, and engineering.
Catalina Foothills High School continually updates and expands its curriculum to meet the evolving needs of its students. For the 2024-2025 academic year, new program pathways include:
Social Studies:
World History (Cohort 2028)
AP World History-Modern (Cohort 2028)
U.S. History or AP U.S. History (Cohort 2027)
AP Psychology OR Perspectives on Modern History AND American Law & Justice (Cohort 2026)
U.S. Government or AP U.S. Government AND Economics or AP Microeconomics (Cohort 2025)
Catalina Foothills High School (CFHS) has received numerous accolades and recognitions over the years, reflecting its commitment to academic excellence and student achievement.
State Performance: CFHS students participate in various state assessments, including the Arizona Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) for English Language Arts and Mathematics, and the Arizona Science Assessment (AzSCI). Key performance outcomes include:
AASA Performance: CFHS students demonstrated high proficiency rates across various subgroups, with notable improvements in English Language Arts and Mathematics from 2022 to 2023.
ACT Aspire and ACT: In 2023, CFHS ninth graders scored above national averages in English, Reading, Math, and Science on the ACT Aspire. Juniors also outperformed state and national averages on the ACT, with a composite score of 21.7 compared to the state average of 17.7.
College Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+): Since 2011, CFSD has been using the College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+), developed by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE), to measure students’ higher-order thinking and written communication skills. The CCRA+ assesses critical skills necessary for college, career, and life through Performance Tasks and Selected Response Questions (SRQ). In the 2022-2023 school year, 432 freshmen and 411 juniors took the CCRA+. Freshmen scored an average of 942 (Developing), and juniors scored 1003 (Proficient), indicating significant growth. CFSD students consistently outperform their peers at other public schools in critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem-solving, and writing skills. Notably, 42% of CFSD freshmen and 56% of juniors scored at Proficient or above levels, demonstrating strong mastery in these essential skills.
National Rankings: CFHS has been consistently ranked in the top 1.7% of high schools in the United States.
U.S. News & World Report:
CFHS has appeared on the US News & World Report Best High Schools rankings since 2014. In 2024, CFHS was rated an award-winning school with an overall score 93.75/100.
STEM Education: Catalina Foothills High School (CFHS) has garnered significant recognition for its excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. In 2013, CFHS was ranked 245th among all high schools nationwide in STEM fields by U.S. News & World Report. The school’s robust STEM program offers comprehensive coursework and hands-on learning opportunities, preparing students for advanced studies and careers in these critical fields. This recognition reflects CFHS’s commitment to fostering a strong foundation in STEM education, supported by state-of-the-art facilities, dedicated faculty, and a curriculum that emphasizes innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The school's continuous efforts in enhancing STEM education have established it as a leader in preparing students for the challenges of the modern world.
Other Recognitions:
NICHE: Consistently recognized for excellence in various categories.
Arizona Education Foundation: Regularly acknowledged for its achievements and contributions to education in Arizona.
P21 Exemplar School: Recognized for integrating 21st-century learning and skills into the curriculum.
Standardized Test Scores: CFHS students consistently outperform state and national averages on the ACT and SAT. In 2023, the average SAT scores were 627 in Math and 625 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, compared to the national averages of 528 and 533, respectively. The average ACT composite score was 21.7, above the national average of 20.3.
College and Career Readiness: The mean score for CFHS juniors on the College Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+) was 1003, compared to the national mean score of 995 for seniors.
Scholarships: The Class of 2024 was offered over $15 million in scholarships, reflecting the high academic achievements and potential of CFHS students.
National Merit Scholars: The Class of 2024 includes 3 National Merit Semi-Finalists and 8 Commended Scholars.
Flinn Scholars: CFHS has produced 19 Flinn Scholars in its history, a notable achievement among Arizona high schools.
These recognitions highlight Catalina Foothills High School's dedication to providing a top-tier education and its success in preparing students for higher education and beyond.
CFHS offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, including 23 interscholastic athletic programs with 77 state titles, over 25 school-sponsored student clubs, and nationally recognized programs in band, chess, robotics, choir, and color/winter guard. The school has been awarded the state's H. A. Hendrickson Overall Excellence Award nine times, including in recent years. The CFHS band program, the largest in the state, has been recognized nationally and internationally, including participation in the Rose Parade. The choir program has performed at Carnegie Hall multiple times, most recently in 2023. The school's robotics team, Pioneer Robotics, has achieved state recognition for mentoring elementary and middle school students in STEM. The Model United Nations, HOSA, FFA, and DECA clubs have excelled in regional and national competitions. CFHS students are socially engaged and civic-minded, actively participating in a wide variety of clubs and organizations that promote leadership, teamwork, and community service.
The Chess Team won the High School National Championship in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2014, as well as six other national championships. The Chess Team also won the AIA State High School Championship in 2005–09, and 2011–14.[4][5]
The Catalina Foothills "Blue" Science Olympiad team won state championships eleven times, in 2006, consecutively from 2008 to 2014, in 2016, and from 2021 to 2022.[6][7]
The Speech and Debate team in 2018 was ranked fourth in Arizona by the National Forensics League,[8] and had won the past three Division 4A State Championships.
The school provides a rich arts program, including classes in studio art, ceramics, graphic design, media, photo imaging, advanced theatre arts, concert band, wind ensemble, jazz combo, steel drums, orchestra, beginning guitar to advanced guitar, concert chorale, and other vocal music groups.
The Catalina Foothills Marching Band consists of around 240 students annually and has an international reputation. In the 2009–2010 school year, the band participated in the Fiesta Bowl parade and competition, placing fourth out of seven competing bands in the country.[9] In both 2006 and 2019, the Falcon band represented Arizona at the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[10] Soon after performing on live television in 2006, the Chinese-American Cultural Bridge Center, on behalf of the Olympic International Festival Committee,[11] invited the band to perform in a youth festival in China a month before the 2008 Summer OlympicsinBeijing during the summer of 2008. In the summer of 2012, the band traveled to the east coast of Australia for seven days,[12] visiting local marching bands and experiencing local culture. They marched in the 2023 Rose ParadeinPasadena, CA.
In 2014, ten Falcons won Best One Act Play in the state, traveling to the International Thespian Festival in June 2015.
In 2024, student Lance Jacobson won Best Lead Actor at the Monte Awards, qualifying him for the national Jimmy Awards. He finished in the top 40 of all nominees.
The school is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a 530-seat auditorium, a 250-seat theater, science labs, art studios, a production broadcast studio, a digital photography studio and darkroom, a three-court gymnasium, and a theatrical scene shop. An orchestra and guitar wing off the music hall was completed in 2024.
CFHS has a diverse student body that mirrors the demographics of Pima County. The school supports an array of extracurricular activities, including clubs, sports, and organizations. The school's commitment to academic and social excellence is supported by strong community involvement and a dedicated staff.
