The Chandler Unified School District plans to open a junior high next fall with a traditional focus.

The Chandler Unified School District governing board is expected to approve the hiring of Nancy Branch as principal of Chandler Traditional Academy Independence campus during its Wednesday meeting.

Two neighborhood academies are accepting applications for a series of classes in Chandler designed to promote successful and sustainable neighborhoods by providing information, education, networking and leadership development opportunities.

Goodman Elementary School in Chandler will convert to a traditional academy, school board members unanimously decided Wednesday.

Enrollment is still open for two traditional classes at Chandler's Patterson Elementary School, 7520 S. Adora Blvd., Gilbert.

Would you like your child’s education to be “classic” or “traditional?”

Early enrollment numbers have come back better than expected for Kyrene Traditional Academy, scheduled to open for the 2012-13 school year.

Kyrene Elementary School District hopes to launch onto the popularity of traditional schools when it opens a traditional academy next school year.

Jay Tibshraeny, guest commentary

The Ken “Chief” Hill Learning Academy will open in July as Chandler Unified School District’s first stand-alone campus for students in its alternative learning program.

Children in the Chandler and Florence unified school districts began school Monday — several weeks before most other East Valley schools resume classes.

Students at Hancock Elementary school in Chandler collected more than 280 pounds of plastic bags to recycle over a period of just two weeks this fall. They’re hoping to save 1,000 pounds from turning up in landfills by the end of their task in March.

Principal Brian Rosta paced in front of Gilbert Classical Academy’s first class of students on Wednesday morning, belting out instructions and encouragement like a coach sending his players into a game.

Community members will meet again Monday evening in Chandler to discuss the possibility of a future bond election for the 38,000-student district. It will be the second meeting for the group, which the Chandler Unified School District formed earlier this month.

Giving the Chandler Preparatory Academy charter school a quarter of a million dollars in city funds to spruce up and move into a vacant north Chandler commercial building will encourage area redevelopment and bring in new sales tax revenue, city officials say.

The Chandler Unified School District has doubled in size over the last 10 years — but the real growth might still be in the future. Within the next five years, the district expects to build up to 12 new schools to accommodate the rush.

Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series of stories exploring new programs the Kyrene School District may provide to students next school year.

Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series of stories exploring new programs the Kyrene School District may provide to students next school year.

The Chandler Unified School District is moving forward with plans to create a college preparatory school this fall by hosting its final informational meeting Wednesday.

Chandler Traditional Academy-Goodman Elementary School, 2600 W. Knox Road, Chandler, will hold its final campus tour 3:15 p.m. Thursday.

Mayor Jay Tibshraeny has announced an initiative that will provide neighborhoods across Chandler with help to become more sustainable in current economic times.

Emily Woodward-Shaw, a seventh-grader from Chandler's Athlos Traditional Academy, was awarded a gold medal for photography in the 2013 National Scholastic Art & Writing competition. The name of her work was “Standing By."

Construction is well under way in the Chandler Unified School District on a new elementary school to open in July.