Mesa students from the top high school choirs in the district will perform 7 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Ikeda Theater at the Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.

Heartbroken friends and family members washed and polished cars Friday afternoon, hoping to raise enough money to alleviate funeral costs for the family of a 16-year-old Westwood High School student who died while walking to school.

The Mesa Unified School District was the only East Valley district named as "outperforming" in a survey of Arizona schools by School Matters evaluation services, a project of the National Education Data Partnership.

Heartbroken friends and family members washed and polished cars Friday afternoon, hoping to raise enough money to alleviate funeral costs for the family of a 16-year-old Westwood High School student who died while walking to school.

Members of the Air Force Junior ROTC at Mesa’s Westwood High School are collecting new, unwrapped toys for children this holiday. Donations will be accepted in the school’s office at 945 W. Eighth St. each school day through Dec. 13.

Mesa students from the top high school choirs in the district will perform 7 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Ikeda Theater at the Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.

Mesa Unified School District was recently visited by a team from AdvancED, an internationally recognized accrediting organization. The district is in the process of seeking reaccreditation from the group for its six comprehensive high schools as well as its alternative high school, the East Valley Academy (which includes the Crossroads program) at the Mesa Education Center. District leaders and administrators from the high schools met the team and shared their schools during site visits. The district expects to hear shortly about its reaccreditation.

Parents and students who completed the Mesa Unified School District’s annual Quality Service Surveys gave record-breaking marks to their schools this year.