Over the next week, thousands of young adults will walk across a stage to receive their high school diplomas. Many of them will take that special certificate knowing what the next step in life will be, others will still be trying to figure out the next chapter.

Marana automotive students Kevin Reich and Evan Cloutier got some strange looks from rival teams when they arrived at the annual Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills State Finals on May 3.

Century Theatres

As softball playoffs approach, a similar picture is emerging from last year as Canyon Del Oro and Ironwood Ridge High School continue to compete for the top spot in Division II play.

THEATER

 The Marana Unified School District announces the selection of Denise Coronado as principal at MCAT High School.

MOVIES

The Marana High School track and field team hosted a meet on April 3 against Sabino and Cienega high schools.  

Most volleyball teams may say they play for their team and they play to win, but for Marana High School volleyball senior captains Jeff Carranza and Evan Boyack, there’s a lot more to it.

Oro Valley 

MARANA 

This article is in reply to a recent Special to The Explorer written by Jo Holt published in the Feb. 20 issue of the paper. Because Arizona has had two balanced General Fund budgets in a row, our state is ranked number one in the nation for business startups.  We went from 46th to number four in private sector job creation. We are 10th in overall great business climate compared to California which is ranked 50th.  During the past four-year recessionary period, we never let K-12 public school per pupil funding go below $9,000 (federal, state plus local funding). We mortgaged the Senate, House and Executive buildings in order to protect K-12 education funding. The north side of Tucson has four outstanding public school districts in Catalina Foothills, Amphi, Marana and Flowing Wells. We have more charter schools per capita and more school choice than any state. We have open enrollment between public school districts, tuition tax credits and a great home school program.

The Marana High School dance team flew to Orlando to compete in the National Dance Championship where it had its best finish in six years by placing fifth in the competition.

It’s a bit ironic that professional NASCAR racecar driver Alex Bowman nearly failed his driver education course in high school.

The Marana Unified School District secondary music program and Mark Wood, recording artist, performer, producer, inventor, Emmy‐winning composer and music education advocate are pleased to present and perform an exciting and electrifying event on March 7 and March 8 at Mountain View High School auditorium, 3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd Tucson, AZ 85742.

Ironwood Ridge senior Colton Blevins is the Explorer’s Helping Hand feature for the month of February.

Danielle Schroeder, a Mountain View High School teacher, and Diane Swan, a Marana High School teacher, have been selected as finalists for the Arizona Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Circle K Corporation Outstanding High School Faculty Awards Program, which honors outstanding high school teachers in Southern Arizona.

MOVIES