Sedona and Verde Valley schools: districts, charters and private options
The Verde Valley is a string of small towns, Sedona, Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Cornville, Rimrock and Camp Verde, and each has its own small school district. Your town sets your district; most districts have one school per grade band, so there is no boundary puzzle, just a registrar to call. Choices beyond the district school are a handful of charters, a very short private list, and the larger Prescott area a mountain pass away.
Who serves which town
- Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek: Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District, Pre-K through grade 12.
- Cottonwood and Cornville: Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District for preschool through grade 8, then Mingus Union High School District for grades 9-12.
- Clarkdale and Jerome: Clarkdale-Jerome School District (elementary), then Mingus Union for high school.
- Rimrock, Lake Montezuma and the Beaver Creek area: Beaver Creek School District No. 26, Pre-K through grade 8, then Mingus Union or Camp Verde for high school (confirm with the district).
- Camp Verde: Camp Verde Unified School District, elementary through high school.
The Cottonwood-area districts are a textbook case of the elementary district plus union high school district arrangement: three elementary districts feed one high school district, and you register separately with each. All six districts run open enrollment under A.R.S. § 15-816.01, so a Cottonwood family can apply to Sedona's schools and vice versa if space allows. Sedona-Oak Creek's enrollment page says it welcomes new students throughout the year and lists open enrollment for both of its schools.
Public school districts
Listed alphabetically. Details are from each district's site as of October 2026. These are small sites that change often; where a page could not be reached when we checked, the table says so.
| District | Grades served | Enrollment page | Where to find your school |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek School District No. 26 (Rimrock) | Pre-K through grade 8 | Registration and online registration | One campus; no boundary map needed. Office: 928-567-4631 |
| Camp Verde Unified School District | Elementary, middle and high school, plus the South Verde Technology Magnet | Enrollment page: see the district site (the site could not be reached when we checked; office 928-567-8000) | One school per grade band |
| Clarkdale-Jerome School District | Elementary (see the district site for the current grade range) | Enrollment page: see the district site, which links a ParentVUE portal | One campus |
| Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District | Preschool through grade 8 (Cottonwood Community School, Dr. Daniel Bright School, Mountain View Preparatory, Oak Creek School in Cornville) | Enrollment page: see the district site; online registration runs from each school's page | District office: 1 N. Willard St., Cottonwood |
| Mingus Union High School District (Cottonwood) | Grades 9-12 | Mingus Union High School, "Enroll Now" link to PowerSchool registration | One high school serving Cottonwood, Clarkdale-Jerome and Beaver Creek families |
| Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District | Pre-K through grade 12 (West Sedona School Pre-K-5, Sedona Red Rock Junior/Senior High 6-12) | Enrollment and immunizations | Two campuses; registrar 928-204-6748, Spanish 928-204-6622 |
Sedona-Oak Creek enrolls by paper packet and an appointment with the registrar rather than an online form; the packet is downloadable from its enrollment page. Beaver Creek, Mingus Union and the Cottonwood schools use online portals.
Charter schools in the Verde Valley
Charter schools are public, free and have no boundaries. Three serve the valley; each link goes to the school's own site.
- American Heritage Academy (Cottonwood) — K-12, operated by Edkey, Inc.
- Desert Star Community School (Cornville) — K-8, public Waldorf principles.
- Sedona Charter School (West Sedona) — preschool through grade 6, Montessori, founded 1995 and described on its site as Arizona's oldest charter school; preschool and full-day kindergarten are tuition-based, K-6 is free.
Check the State Board for Charter Schools directory for any newer charters.
Private schools
The private list is short, and most of it stops at grade 8. Alphabetically, each linked to its own site:
| School | Location | Grades | Type and affiliation | Published costs | Accreditation and programmes | Independent notes | Facts last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immaculate Conception Catholic School | Cottonwood | Preschool-8 | Catholic (Diocese of Phoenix) | see the school's site | The school's own site had a certificate problem in October 2026; the diocesan directory page is linked instead | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| United Christian School | Camp Verde | Early education through middle school | Christian | see the school's site | Oct 11, 2026 | ||
| Verde Valley School | Sedona | 9-12 | Independent, co-educational, nonsectarian school; International Baccalaureate World School | Day $33,000 (2026-27); Domestic boarding $60,000 (2026-27); International boarding $63,000 (2026-27) | Cognia; International Baccalaureate; IB Diploma Programme | Niche 2027: A+, #1 on Best Boarding High Schools in Arizona. The site author works here; see /about. | Oct 11, 2026 |
Facts in this table come from each school's own published pages and carry the date they were last checked; "by the school" means the school updated its own row through this site's listing update service.
Directories also list Verde Christian Academy (Cottonwood, preschool through grade 8) and Verde Valley Adventist School (Cottonwood), but neither had a site we could verify; call before relying on either. For a private high school with a broader program, families look to Prescott (below) or to Phoenix-area boarding options; see Private schools in Arizona and Boarding schools.
Online options
Statewide online public schools are free to Arizona residents and are the main way Verde Valley families add courses their small districts cannot offer: Arizona Virtual Academy, Arizona Connections Academy, Primavera Online School and ASU Prep Digital, all K-12. See Online schools in Arizona.
Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley nearby
Many Verde Valley families work or shop over Mingus Mountain in the Prescott area, and some enroll there. Prescott Unified, Humboldt Unified (Prescott Valley) and Chino Valley Unified all accept open enrollment; Humboldt states that you can register at any of its schools regardless of where you live, subject to capacity. The Prescott area also has a cluster of charters (BASIS Prescott, Tri-City College Prep, La Tierra Community School, Skyview School) and private schools (Sacred Heart Catholic School, preschool through grade 8; Trinity Christian School, K-12). All are covered with links on Flagstaff and northern Arizona schools.
Practical notes
- Calendars. Each district sets its own. Fall break ran October 12-16, 2026 in Sedona-Oak Creek and Cottonwood-Oak Creek; first-day dates are on each district's calendar page and usually fall in early August. Check before you assume.
- Weather. The valley is higher and cooler than Phoenix. Sedona sees occasional winter snow; Cottonwood and Camp Verde have hot summers but mild winters. Weather closures are rare but happen.
- Buses. District buses run inside each district. Open-enrolled students from a neighboring town generally drive; Sedona to Cottonwood on SR 89A is a short commute, and Camp Verde sits on I-17.
- Small schools, real limits. One high school per district means one set of courses. Families wanting AP breadth, IB or specialized programs usually combine the local school with online courses or look to Prescott or Flagstaff.
- Documents. Sedona-Oak Creek asks for a certified birth certificate, immunization record, proof of residency (utility bill, lease or property tax statement), prior records and any IEP, 504 or custody papers. The other districts ask for the same core set; see Enrollment documents.
How to find your assigned school
- Match your town to the district in "Who serves which town" above. If you are on the Cornville-Sedona edge or in Lake Montezuma, call both districts' offices to confirm which boundary your address falls in.
- Open the district's enrollment page from the table. For the Cottonwood-Oak Creek schools, pick the school page for your area (Oak Creek School serves Cornville).
- For grades 9-12 in Cottonwood, Clarkdale-Jerome or Beaver Creek, register with Mingus Union High School District separately.
- If you want a school in another valley district, apply for open enrollment with that district before registering.
- Gather the documents, then register online or, for Sedona-Oak Creek, book the registrar appointment.
Sources and where to verify
- A.R.S. § 15-816.01, Open enrollment policies
- Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District, Enrollment and immunizations
- Beaver Creek School District, Registration
- Mingus Union High School
- Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District
- Humboldt Unified School District, Registration and enrollment
- AZ School Report Cards, Arizona Department of Education
- Arizona State Board for Charter Schools
- Charter and private school sites linked above, each checked October 2026.
Represent a school listed on this page? You can keep your own facts current: see how schools update their listing, by web form, by a scoped API key, or by connecting your AI assistant to this site's MCP server. Corrections by email are welcome too. Every change is logged and shown with its date, as the editorial policy explains.
Frequently asked questions
Which district is Sedona in?
Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District, which runs West Sedona School (Pre-K-5) and Sedona Red Rock Junior/Senior High (6-12). The Village of Oak Creek is in the same district.
My child is in 9th grade in Cottonwood. Which district do I register with?
Mingus Union High School District. Cottonwood-Oak Creek, Clarkdale-Jerome and Beaver Creek are elementary districts that end at grade 8.
Can a Cottonwood family send a child to Sedona's schools?
Yes, through open enrollment, if the grade has space. Sedona-Oak Creek lists open enrollment status for both schools on its enrollment page. You provide transportation.
Are there private high schools in the Verde Valley?
One, an independent IB boarding and day school in Sedona for grades 9-12, listed under private schools above. The other private schools in the valley end at grade 8.
Can I enroll mid-year?
Yes. Sedona-Oak Creek states it welcomes new students throughout the school year, and the other districts enroll whenever a family arrives. Bring the documents and expect a registrar appointment.
Is Prescott a realistic option from the Verde Valley?
For some families. Prescott Unified, Humboldt and Chino Valley accept open enrollment, but the drive over Mingus Mountain or via I-17 and SR 69 is long twice a day. Most families who choose Prescott schools live there.
Related guides
- Arizona schools by region
- Flagstaff and northern Arizona schools
- Start here: how to enroll in an Arizona school
- Enrollment documents
- Boarding schools in Arizona
- Online schools in Arizona
Last reviewed October 11, 2026. Figures change; the sources above are where to check.