QUEEN CREEK, AZ – San Tan Charter School broke ground on their new Queen Creek campus on Monday, October 27th. They will be located at 18979 S. Signal Butte Road, near the intersection of Signal Butte Rd and Germann Rd. In attendance included the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce, Queen Creek Town Council Member Bryan McClure and Dawn Oliphant, local business owners, owner San Tan Charter School Dr. Chris Sippel and his family, along with the building team and principal of the new school, Katie Cox. The school is slated to open in July 2026.
As a tuition-free k-8 charter school, this campus continues their tradition of providing a safe, supportive, and rigorous education where every child is nurtured as an individual and encouraged to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. “We’re thrilled to bring San Tan’s unique model featuring three distinct programs, Montessori, mainstream, and gifted, to the Queen Creek community. With no other school offering this combination, we’re confident that families in Queen Creek will be just as excited as we are to become a part of the San Tan community.” said Katie Cox, principal of San Tan Charter School, Signal Butte Campus
“As the future principal of this new campus, I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this next chapter in San Tan’s story. Almost 20 years ago, a husband and wife, both educators, found themselves unable to locate the kind of school they envisioned for their own children. Determined to create something better, Chris and Rita Sippel took a risk and ventured into the unknown and founded San Tan Montessori. What began as 40 students has now grown to into a thriving community of over 1,000 learners.” said Cox.
The Signal Butte campus will offer a Montessori Preschool, which is rooted in the vision of Dr. Maria Montessori that blends independence, creativity, and respect. Programs include Love and Logic®’s nine essential skills, a Montessori peace table for conflict resolution, and the Music Together™ program to encourage movement and self-expression.
“On behalf of Mayor Julia Wheatley and the Town Council, we want to welcome you to the Queen Creek family. Dr. Sippel thank you for your investment here in Queen Creek. We have a great community here in Queen Creek, and it’s because of our schools. As parents, we love that we have choices in Queen Creek; we have district schools, private and charter schools, and that’s what makes us a great community.” said Queen Creek Town Council Member Dawn Oliphant.
“I want to thank Willmeng construction, the Town of Queen Creek, and the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce, you are helping us lay the foundation literally and figuratively of our next chapter! Thank you for your partnership and support; we are now able to bring this vision to life. Queen Creek residents, we are ready for you! We cannot wait to teach and inspire your children and partner with you as parents.” said Cox
For more information about the San Tan Charter School, visit https://santancharterschool.com/signal-butte-campus/.
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About Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce
We were formed in 2002 to solve problems so you can thrive because strong businesses create strong communities.