About Phoenix-Talent School District 4 · Phoenix
Phoenix-Talent School District 4 is a public K–12 school district headquartered in Phoenix, Oregon, serving the cities of Phoenix, Talent, and parts of Medford in southern Oregon's Rogue Valley. The district operates seven schools — three elementary schools, one middle school, one comprehensive high school, an alternative academy (Phoenix-Talent Rising Academy), and an early learning center — educating approximately 2,200 students. Led by Superintendent Brent Barry (named 2022 Oregon Superintendent of the Year), the district is widely recognized for its resilience following the devastating Almeda Fire of September 8, 2020, which destroyed homes of roughly 30–40% of its families.
Phoenix-Talent School District #4 (NCES District ID 4109630) is a regular local public school district in Jackson County, Oregon, with its central office at 401 West 4th Street, Phoenix, OR 97535. The district's vision statement reads, "Together, we shall meet the challenges of preparing responsible, creative, lifelong learners." It serves the small rural communities of Phoenix and Talent (combined population ~11,000) plus portions of Medford, and operates seven schools spanning preschool through 12th grade. These include Phoenix Elementary (Phoenix Elementary School), Talent Elementary, Orchard Hill Elementary (in Medford), Talent Middle School (the Bulldogs), Phoenix High School (the Pirates, CEEB #380825, the district's sole comprehensive high school), Phoenix-Talent Rising Academy (an alternative/magnet program), and the PTS Rising Early Learning Center. In 2024–25, the district enrolled roughly 2,231 students with about 126 classroom teachers (FTE) and a student-teacher ratio near 17.6:1. Phoenix High School alone enrolls around 656–700 students in grades 9–12 and offers seven state-certified Career and Technical Education programs (Agricultural Science and Technology, Automotive Technology, Construction Technology, Culinary Arts, Information and Communications Technology, Manufacturing, and Marketing), seven AP courses, dual-credit partnerships with Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, and Oregon Institute of Technology (over 150 college-credit courses available; 1,216 credits earned in 2024–25), and the State of Oregon Seal of Biliteracy. On September 8, 2020 — just one day before the new school year was set to begin — the Almeda Fire swept through Phoenix and Talent, destroying thousands of homes and displacing roughly 30–40% of district families (about 700 students). The district lost Chromebooks, hotspots, and instructional materials, yet Superintendent Brent Barry and his team stood up distance learning within days, set up neighborhood learning hubs in Ashland, Central Point, and White City, and launched a community fire-relief fund. The fire's enrollment impact persists: as of 2025 the district remains down more than 300 students (over 12%) compared to pre-fire numbers. Brent Barry, who has led the district since 2017, was named the 2022 Oregon Superintendent of the Year by OASE/COSA for his leadership through the crisis. The district is governed by a seven-member elected school board (four-year terms) and holds regular public meetings on the first and third Thursday of each month.
- Owner
- Superintendent Brent Barry (district leader since 2017); governed by an elected seven-member School Board
- Serves
- Phoenix, Talent, and parts of Medford, Jackson County, southern Oregon (Rogue Valley)
Overview & District Identity
Phoenix-Talent School District #4 is a public K–12 district headquartered in Phoenix, Oregon (not Arizona). It serves the small Rogue Valley communities of Phoenix, Talent, and parts of Medford, with a combined community population of roughly 11,000. The district's vision statement — "Together, we shall meet the challenges of preparing responsible, creative, lifelong learners" — anchors its public identity. The central office is at 401 West 4th Street, Phoenix, OR 97535 (Mailing PO Box 698). Main line: 541-535-1517; fax 541-535-3928. NCES District ID 4109630; State District ID OR-00000000002039.
- Vision: "Together, we shall meet the challenges of preparing responsible, creative, lifelong learners."
- District type: Regular local public school district
- Grade span: PK–12
- Total schools: 7
- County: Jackson County, Oregon
- Locale: Suburban, Midsize
Schools in the District
The district operates seven schools across three cities. Three elementary schools feed into Talent Middle School (the Bulldogs, grades 6–8 in Talent), which then feeds into Phoenix High School (the Pirates, the district's only comprehensive high school, in Phoenix). The district also operates two specialty programs: Phoenix-Talent Rising Academy (PTRA, an alternative / magnet program) and the PTS Rising Early Learning Center.
- Phoenix Elementary School — 215 N. Rose Street, Phoenix, OR 97535 (Principal: Aaron Santi)
- Talent Elementary School — 307 Wagner Creek Road, Talent, OR 97540 (Main 541-535-1531)
- Orchard Hill Elementary — 1011 La Loma Drive, Medford, OR 97504 (Main 541-779-1766)
- Talent Middle School (Bulldogs) — 102 Christian Ave., Talent, OR 97540 (Main 541-535-1552; Principal: Kent Vallier)
- Phoenix High School (Pirates) — 745 N. Rose Street, Phoenix, OR 97535 (Main 541-535-1526; Principal: Kalin Cross; CEEB #380825)
- Phoenix-Talent Rising Academy (PTRA, Hawks) — 215 N. Rose St., Phoenix, OR 97535 (Main 541-897-5108)
- PTS Rising Early Learning Center (Junior Pirates) — 745 N. Rose St., Phoenix, OR 97535 (541-897-5210)
Leadership & Governance
Superintendent Brent Barry has led Phoenix-Talent Schools since 2017, having previously served as assistant superintendent for academics and student programs, vice principal and athletic director of Phoenix High School, principal of Orchard Hill Elementary, and a teacher in Prineville, Oregon City, and Medford. The Oregon Association of School Executives (OASE) and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) named him the 2022 Oregon Superintendent of the Year for his leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and the Almeda Fire. The district is governed by a publicly elected seven-member School Board serving four-year terms, with elections held in odd-numbered years and regular board meetings on the first and third Thursday of each month.
- Superintendent: Brent Barry (since 2017; 2022 Oregon Superintendent of the Year)
- Executive Assistant to the Superintendent & School Board Secretary: Denise Skinner
- Asst. Superintendent of Human Resources: Jessica Hamlin
- Asst. Superintendent of Teaching & Learning: Tiffanie Lambert
- Director of Magnet Programs: Aaron Santi
- Director of Community Care: Kelly Soter
- Accounting Director: Yazmin Karabinas
- IT Manager: Allan Quiros
- Seven-member elected School Board (four-year terms; meets 1st & 3rd Thursdays)
The Almeda Fire (September 8, 2020) & Recovery
On September 8, 2020 — the day before the new school year was to begin — the Almeda Fire tore through Phoenix and Talent, destroying thousands of homes and displacing roughly 30–40% of district families (about 700 students). The district also lost Chromebooks, hotspots, routers, and instructional materials. Superintendent Barry's team activated crisis response within hours, stood up distance learning, established socially-distanced learning hubs in Ashland, Central Point, and White City, and created a fire relief fund. Five years later the district is still down by more than 300 students (over 12%) compared to pre-fire enrollment, and the state granted Phoenix-Talent and three other affected districts a special funding arrangement using 2019–20 enrollment numbers (totaling $25 million) to ease the fiscal blow. The 2025–26 school year is the first full year beginning at a normal calendar cadence since the fire.
- Almeda Fire: September 8, 2020 — same day school was set to start
- ~30–40% of district families displaced (≈700 students)
- Three emergency learning hubs: Ashland, Central Point, White City
- District fire relief fund launched and distributed to families
- Enrollment down >12% (300+ students) five years after the fire
- 2022 state funding adjustment: districts allowed to use 2019–20 ADM for funding; PTS received part of $25M total
Phoenix High School Programs
Phoenix High School (CEEB #380825, the Pirates) is a four-year comprehensive public high school enrolling roughly 656–700 students in grades 9–12, operating on a quarter system with seven periods per day and four 9-week grading periods. The school offers seven state-certified Career and Technical Education programs, seven AP courses with an open-enrollment policy, and dual-credit partnerships with Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, and Oregon Institute of Technology that yielded 1,216 college credits earned by PHS students during 2024–25. The Class of 2025 produced 22 Seal of Biliteracy recipients, and 73% of graduates went on to college (27% four-year, 46% two-year).
- 7 state-certified CTE programs: Agricultural Science & Technology, Automotive Technology, Construction Technology, Culinary Arts, Information & Communications Technology, Manufacturing, Marketing
- AP courses: AP Environmental Science, AP European History, AP Language & Composition, AP Literature & Composition, AP Studio Art: Drawing, AP US Government, AP US History
- Dual-credit with SOU, Rogue Community College, Oregon Tech (150+ courses; 1,216 credits earned 2024–25)
- Phoenix Talent Virtual Academy (PTVA) — fully virtual option
- Compass program — alternative learning environment / GED option
- State Seal of Biliteracy (22 recipients in Class of 2025)
- 24-credit graduation requirement
- Accredited by Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), a division of Cognia
Demographics & Student Body
Phoenix-Talent School District serves a demographically diverse student body. District-wide averages for 2024–25 show about 55.7% White, 34.9% Hispanic/Latino, 5.2% Multiracial, 1.1% African American, and 0.8% Asian students. At Phoenix High School specifically, 49% of students identify as White, 42% as Hispanic/Latino/a/x, 6% Multiracial, and 1% each American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Seven languages are spoken across the high school population. About 48% of students at PHS experience poverty, 26% have been English Learners at some point, and 15% receive special education services. Title I eligibility is high district-wide at 81.2%.
- District-wide enrollment 2024–25: ~2,231 students
- Phoenix High School enrollment: ~656 students
- 95% on-time graduation rate (Phoenix High)
- 7 languages spoken at Phoenix High
- 48% of PHS students experiencing poverty
- 26% Ever English Learners at PHS
- 15% Students with Disabilities at PHS
- 81.2% Title I eligibility district-wide
- Title: Hispanic/Latino student share has grown substantially (38% in 2019–20 → 42%+ at PHS 2024–25)
Student & Family Support Services
Phoenix-Talent Schools operates a robust network of wraparound supports under its Community Care umbrella, including counseling, mental health resources, bilingual family liaisons, school resource officers (SROs), restorative justice programming, migrant education, and a Crisis Response Team that became central to the district's Almeda Fire recovery. The district provides free Chromebook / Wi-Fi hotspot lending to enable distance learning, dedicated lactation/breastfeeding rooms at every facility, and a published list of technology, handbooks, and discipline policies on its website.
- Director of Community Care: Kelly Soter
- Bilingual Family Liaisons (e.g., Felipe Reyes)
- Community Care Specialists at every school
- School Resource Officers (SROs)
- School Psychologist on staff
- TOSA / Migrant Education (María Lee)
- Restorative Justice program
- Mental health / crisis response services
- Free Chromebook and hotspot lending program
- Safe Routes to School Plan
- Support for Students & Families from Immigrant & Refugee Backgrounds
Calendar, Registration & Contact
The first day of school for the 2026–27 school year is September 8. Online student registration is open through the district website. The district office has announced it is closed each Friday throughout July. Visitors and families can reach the district office at 541-535-1517 during business hours Monday–Thursday.
- 2026–27 first day of school: September 8
- Online registration available at phoenix.k12.or.us
- District office closed Fridays in July
- Staff, volunteer, and employment portals on website
Public Accountability & Transparency
Phoenix-Talent publishes extensive public accountability materials on its website, including Division 22 Standards reports, Oregon Department of Education state report cards, Student Investment Account materials, Integrated Plan documentation, Emergency Relief records, Restorative Justice information, and Safe Routes to School planning. The 25–26 Employee Handbook is publicly available as a PDF on the district's resource site.
- Division 22 Standards report
- State Report Cards
- Student Investment Account reporting
- Integrated Plan materials
- Emergency Relief records
- Restorative Justice information
- Safe Routes to School Plan
- Public 25–26 Employee Handbook (PDF)
- Handbooks & Agreements page for every school