Gila Crossing Community School

Our Mission Statement

We will honor our languages, the teachings of our elders, and our Ak’imel O’otham and Pee Posh culture.

We will empower every student to achieve their highest potential in academics and culture.

We will provide a variety of learning opportunities to ensure all students become successful and productive community members.

We will welcome and encourage local involvement to strengthen the Ak’imel O’otham/Pee Posh community.

We will treat everyone with respect

Vision

Gila Crossing Community School, works together to promote a safe and healthy learning environment through Himdag, our way of life, and through academic excellence.

Motto

Believe You Can!

Core Values - S.O.A.R.

Safe- We believe everyone has the right to feel safe within the GCCS learning environment.

Organized- We believe in a system that through the organization allows parents to be knowledgeable about their students learning. We believe in being proactive in helping students develop skills that they will carry forward in the future.

Accountable- Each person at GCCS is accountable for growing and supporting the social, emotional and academic skills and developing the HIMDAG.

Respectful- At GCCS we recognize that everyone deserves the right to be respected not only for their heritage but for their beliefs and their abilities.

Gila Crossing Community School is a FACE PreK to 8th Grade school located on the northwest corner of the Gila River Indian Reservation, about four miles from the town of Laveen, Arizona. The current enrollment expected in these grades is about 550 students comparing with just 53 students in 1993-94 school year. Historically, this school has been present on this site and serving the Pima and Maricopa children since around 1899. Formerly a Bureau of Indian Affairs School, it became a grant school in 1995 by chartering under the Gila River Indian Community.

In January of 2002, the school assumed another neighborhood school formerly known as Estrella Mountain Accommodation School. 

In the Fall of 2019, Gila Crossing Community School moved into a brand new site, thanks to so many within the Gila River Community who worked so tirelessly to make this a reality. The students, staff and families of GCCS are very thankful for this gift, and strive every day to use it to further student success.

The five-member Board of Trustees is the governing body of Gila Crossing Community School. In 2014, our school was fully accredited by AdvancED (now Cognia), and has consistently maintained that acceditation. The school's staff, through its continued commitment to the highest quality education for all students, has accepted a plan for vigorous staff development, as well as extending and enriching the curriculum through greater use of creative and effective teaching practices with the highest expectations for all students. The staff, parents, and the Gila River Indian Community willingly and enthusiastically embrace school reform for the benefit and success of all the children.