History
Click here to listen to City High School co-founders Eve Rifkin and Brett Goble reflect on the founding of City High School in an interview recorded by KUAT in September 2010.
An Advisory group meets on Mt. Lemmon
City High School opened in September 2004 with 80 students in grades 9 and 10. Founding educators Carrie Brennan, Eve Rifkin and Brett Goble had a vision for a school that was small and intimate, allowing teachers to provide an authentic educational experience for all students. At larger schools, students often get lost in the crowd or feel like a number. At City High School, the small school design and smaller class sizes help students connect with one another and with staff and get the individual attention to thrive.
City High School’s philosophy includes place-based learning, utilizing community resources and issues as tools and context for education.
The school is housed in the historic Cele Peterson building on Pennington Street in downtown Tucson. The school’s location and size allows teachers and students to engage in frequent field studies, using downtown Tucson as a “textbook” and engaging in real world learning. “We see Downtown as the cultural, political, and economic hub of the city,” said Founding Principal Carrie Brennan. “It’s central to our mission.”
From 2003-2006, City High School received significant school start-up funds through two primary sources: 1) High Tech High Learning, a network of small schools focused on real-world learning, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and modeled after High Tech High charter school in San Diego; and 2) the federal government’s Charter Schools Program funding for new schools.
With determination and vision, these teachers-turned-administrators collaborated with a team of highly qualified teachers, pioneering families, innovative community partners, and an active board of directors, to build a progressive learning environment. City High School now enrolls close to 200 students in grades 9-12 and has graduated four classes of seniors since it opened.
City High School is connected with a variety of national school reform networks and a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools. See the Affiliations and Accreditation section of our website for more information.
