Santa Rita's Dental Assisting CTE Program Recognized by Arizona Department of Education

Santa Rita High School's Career and Technical Education department has received state-wide recognition from the Arizona Department of Education.

The school was officially awarded a Certificate of Recognition for its Dental Assisting Program, which achieved the status of Highest Performing Dental Assisting Program in Arizona during the 2026 Spring CTE Technical Skills Assessment.

The certificate, issued by the Arizona Department of Education's Career and Technical Education division, honors the program’s exceptional achievements and contributions to health science technologies. The accolade highlights the dedication of both the students and faculty to achieving excellence in technical skills and preparing for future careers in the healthcare industry.

This recognition underscores Santa Rita High School's ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, impactful career readiness programs that set a benchmark for excellence across the state.

“We congratulate Dental Assisting instructor Jena Simental and her students for being named the Highest Performing Dental Assistant Program in the State of Arizona. Ms. Simental and her student’s hard work, dedication, and teamwork made this possible — we’re so proud!” said Charles McCollum, Tucson Unified's CTE program manager.