All About Surprise, Az

All About Surprise, Az

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In 1938 Surprise, AZ, located 45 minutes outside Phoenix, was founded by Flora Mae Statler. At that time, the new town consisted of just one square mile of farmland. Flora Mae Statler called the small town "Surprise" because she thought she would be surprised if the town ever amounted to anything.

If Flora coud see Surprise now, she would surely be surprised. Today, Surprise, AZ is comprised of 115,000 people and is Arizona's 10th largest city.


Cost of Living

The cost of living in Surprise, AZ is really close to the national average, making Surprise an affordable place to live. The average house price is $240,500 and rent costs anywhere between $475 and $1,100 per month. Property taxes run on average around $.57 per every $1,000 cash value. And sales tax, excluding groceries, is 8.5%.


Education

In Surprise, Dysart Unified School District includes 3 high schools, 20 elementary schools, and above average test scores. Curriculum includes an International Baccalaureate (IB) program and is focused on developing excellence in reading, writing, math, history, science, critical thinking, use of technology, creativity, and life skills.

Surprise also has two Public tuition-free charter schools; Arizona Charter Academy, and Carden Traditional School of Surprise. Curriculum in these charter schools is more rigorous with programs for the artistically or academically gifted.

Post-secondary educational offerings include the Rio Salado College Lifelong Learning Center and Communiversity@Surprise which offers Certificate, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, and Master Degree programs.


Sports

There are many sports activities available in Surprise. Age specific sports programs for youth or adult include softball, tee-ball, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and flag football. Adaptive sports available for the disabled include Buddy Baseball, Buddy Tennis, Buddy, Basketball, and Special Olympic Basketball.

In addition, Surprise is home to state of the art recreational facilities and parks. The Surprise Aquatic Center offers pool rentals, birthday parties, and swim lessons. And The Tennis and Racquet Complex hosts tournaments such as the upcoming USTA National Open. Some of Surprise's parks include White Tank Mountain Regional Park and Dreamcatcher Park.


Cultural Offerings

Finally, there are art and music opportunities in Surprise. The Sun Cities Museum displays American and international art. Musical Surprise, a local music school, offers lessons in piano, guitar, violin, voice, and much more. It also offers quality live music for special events.

With all it has to offer, Surprise has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1938.

About the Author:
Goldberg & Osborne, a medical malpractice law firm in Arizona, makes this material available for the sole purpose of providing general information to the public. Goldberg & Osborne has not reviewed or edited its contents. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a legal or medical professional.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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