Mary C. O’Brien Accommodation District (MCOBAD) was established in 1948 to provide a school for students in the “New Camp” area at Eleven Mile Corner. The school was originally called the Eleven Mile Corner Accommodation School. It has since been named for Miss Mary C. O’Brien who was Pinal County School Superintendent for 26 years (1950-1976).
The school at Eleven Mile Corner served as the home of the Pinal Special Education (PSE) consortium for 46 years (1964-2010). Students with disabilities were served with many innovative programs focused on the needs of the students. As local school districts developed programs for special education students the need for PSE diminished and the Pinal Special Education consortium disbanded in 2010.
Following the closing of Pinal Special Education, Mary C. O’Brien Elementary School has continued to serve as a K-6 elementary school for students in the area. Mary C. O’Brien Elementary has received recognition as an “A+ School of Excellence” by the Arizona Education Foundation and has achieved a letter grade of “A” as determined by the Arizona Department of Education.
In 1994, the Pinal County School Office purchased the Villa Oasis School, a former private school, and established an alternative high school on that campus. The Pinal County Superintendent oversees the Villa Oasis Interscholastic Center of Education (VOICE) as an alternative school within Mary C. O’Brien Accommodation District.
Pinal County Superintendent, Jill Broussard, oversees Mary C. O’Brien Accommodation District as the Governing Board. In addition, the Pinal County Superintendent directs the Pinal County Education Service Agency (Pinal ESA) – managed by Associate Superintendent, Joel Villegas; and the Pinal County School Office (Pinal CSO) managed by Deputy Superintendent, Tonya Taylor.
Associate Superintendent, Marty Bassett, manages the day to day operations of Mary C. O’Brien Accommodation District as school superintendent. The schools operate as any other schools in the state of Arizona. Melissa Puentes serves as principal at Mary C. O’Brien Elementary, and Ector Rodriguez as principal at Villa Oasis. The School District Business Manager is Sherree Ramirez, Director of Technology is Peter Lin, Director of Human Resources is Michelle Gonzalez, and Plant Manager/Director of Transportation is Jesse Salazar. Please contact Marty Bassett with any questions or comments regarding the school programs.
