The Murphy Elementary School District was in the national spotlight last weekend when 40 school superintendents came to learn about the district's unique method of building educational partnerships in the community.
Murphy Superintendent Paul Mohr shared with National Superintendents Roundtable members last weekend about collaborative efforts in the inner-city district. They include a new $1.5 million Field of Dreams Sports Complex, the full-time Hamilton Community Health Clinic, and the new 16,000-square-foot Murphy School District/Phoenix Rotary 100 Education and Health Center. The center, to be completed in August, will offer technology training, parenting seminars, occupational training, health services, early-childhood education and community meeting facilities.

Murphy has four elementary schools that serve nearly 2,700 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The district is in an area where 40 percent of families live at or below the poverty level. About two-thirds of the students are English language learners.

"We are proud and excited to share what we've learned and what we've accomplished," Mohr said. "Through the efforts of Murphy district staff and our community partners, we've built a series of initiatives that have helped make our district a beacon of community-based learning and development."

Superintendents in the national organization gather annually to examine educational issues and exchange ideas about how schools and their students can achieve sustainable success. This year's conference, "Creating Learning Communities in Schools and Neighborhoods," explored the dynamics of community social networks, their interactions with schools and how these forces can contribute to successful learning.

The conference was at the Hyatt Regency Downtown.