Santa Cruz County was awarded funding from the Arizona Department of Transportation Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program to prepare the Rio Rico Walking and Biking Study. The purpose of the Study is to enable Santa Cruz County to establish a program for the construction of bike lanes and sidewalks that are desired to provide safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access and connectivity to select Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 facilities as well as use for the general public for transportation and recreational purposes.

The Pinal Creek Trail corridor study is being conducted in conjunction with the Cobre Valley Comprehensive Transportation Study, to provide alternative modes of transportation to key educational and recreational areas in the Globe area. The purpose of the study is to review previous trail studies and recreation trail plans that will address the most critical current and future non-motorized modes of transportation within the study area. The concept of turning Pinal Creek, which runs through the City, into a functioning urban greenbelt, has long been the dream of several citizens of the community.

Pima County, in partnership with the National Park Service, has been an active participant in the development of a 70 mile segment of the trail. With the preparation of this Master Plan, Pima County has embarked on an active program to acquire the necessary rights-of-way and easements and to construct the Pima County segment of the national historic trail.

In fiscal year 2012, Scottsdale Unified School District’s student achievement was similar to peer districts’, on average, but it compared less favorably in operational efficiencies. The District’s food service program operated efficiently with a cost per meal that was lower than the peer district average. However, the District’s administrative costs were higher than peer districts’, primarily because it employed more administrative staff. In addition, the District inaccurately reported its costs on its Annual Financial Report and it lacked sufficient computer controls. The District’s plant operations cost per pupil was higher than peer districts’, on average, because the District maintained more square footage per student than the peer districts’ and many of its schools operated far below their designed capacities. Further, the District’s transportation cost per mile was much higher than the peer districts’ average, in part, because of inefficient bus routes.