| Cortez High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
8828 North 31st Avenue , 85051 | |
| 33°34′00″N 112°07′36″W / 33.5665512°N 112.1267585°W / 33.5665512; -112.1267585[1] | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Motto | Win The Day |
| Established | 1960 |
School district | Glendale Union High School District |
Principal | Brooke Parsons |
Teaching staff | 50.60 (FTE)[2] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,105 (2023–2024)[2] |
Student to teacher ratio | 21.84[2] |
| Colors | Black, White and Red |
| Mascot | Calvin the Colt |
| Nickname | Colts |
| Rival | Washington High School |
| Newspaper | The Spectator |
| Website | Cortez High School |
Cortez High School is located in Phoenix, Arizona at 8828 N 31st Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051. It is part of the Glendale Union High School District. The mascot is the Colt and the school colors are primarily black and white with red used as an alternate color. In the 2025-2026 school year, U.S. News & World Report's Best High School Ranking list placed Cortez High School as #102 in the state of Arizona and #5,971 in National rankings among approximately 24,000 schools, 18,000 of which are ranked[3].
History
Cortez was designed by the local architecture firm of Edward L. Varney Associates. Construction of the campus was undertaken by Harmon-Davis Construction Co.[4]
Athletics
Cortez High School participates in 14 different sports as a member of the Arizona Interscholastic Association's 4A Conference[5].
| Sport | State Champions |
|---|---|
| Football | None |
| Volleyball (girls) | 1985, 1986, 1988 |
| Badminton | None |
| Spiritline | None |
| Golf | None |
| Swim and Dive | None |
| Cross Country | 1968, 1969 |
| Basketball (boys) | None |
| Basketball (girls) | None |
| Soccer (boys) | 2010, 2012, 2013 |
| Soccer (girls) | None |
| Wrestling | None |
| Baseball | 1963 |
| Softball | None |
| Track and Field | None |
| Tennis (boys) | 1962 |
| Tennis (girls) | 1962, 1963 |
Notable alumni
- Brian Davis – American football player
- Duffy Dyer – former MLB player (New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers)
- Kevin Wickander – former MLB player (Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers)[6]
- Vincent Furnier, better known as Alice Cooper – musician
- Dennis Dunaway and Glen Buxton – formed the band 'The Earwigs' (with Vince Furnier) while at Cortez and were original members of the Alice Cooper band
- Greg Stanton – elected mayor of Phoenix on November 8, 2011
- Dennis Gile – American football player
- Bill Brotherton – former Arizona State Senator
- Paul Penzone – elected sheriff of Maricopa County on January 1, 2017
- Sean Bonnette – lead singer of folk punk band AJJ
- Patty Duffek - Playboy playmate of the month, May 1984
References
- Data from GNIS
- "Cortez High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- "Cortez High School". U.S. News & World Report: Best High Schools in America. June 11, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Arizona–New Mexico Builder and Contractor, December 1959, Vol. 22, No. 5". azmemory.azlibrary.gov. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- "Cortez High School: Athletics". Glendale Union High School District: Cortez High School. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Rubin, Paul (November 7, 2002). "Speedball". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved January 2, 2023.