County/Regional Bee Coordinators
2025-2026 ARIZONA SPELLING BEE TIMELINES & DEADLINES
Registration Deadlines
- Scripps Registration Opens at www.spellingbee.com – August 19, 2025
- School Registration Deadline – December 31, 2025
Competition Deadlines
- School Spelling Bee Competition Deadline – January 7, 2026
- District Spelling Bee Deadline – January 29, 2026
- County & Regional Spelling Bee Deadline – February 15, 2026
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR SINGLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS
The district spelling bee deadline is intended for groups of schools competing within a school district, charter network, private school organization, etc. Some Arizona schools are considered a “district” despite being the only school within their district. These schools are beholden to the school spelling bee deadline.
1. SCHOOL LEVEL COORDINATORS
Spelling Bee Rules
Login to Your School Spelling Bee Dashboard
Study Materials for Spellers
All students at the classroom and school level use the resources provided by Scripps to study for their spelling bees. These resources can be found via your login at www.spellingbee.com.
School champions should use the “Words of the Champions” document to study and prepare for all future levels of the spelling bee. School coordinators can find the “Words of the Champions” in their school spelling bee dashboard.
Advancing Your School Champion
After completing your school spelling bee you will need to notify the coordinator of the next spelling bee. Your student may advance to a district spelling bee, or potentially straight to a county spelling bee. Please review the structure on our Arizona Spelling Bee Process page to determine where your school fits in the Arizona Spelling Bee Program.
Advancing to a County Bee
Some schools advance their champion straight to a county bee. If you are advancing your student directly to the county level view the coordinator directory to determine which coordinator you should reach out to. Important Note: School’s are responsible for identifying themselves to the county coordinator to get registered for the county spelling bee. If school coordinators do not reach out to the county coordinator they may miss the deadline to register.
How many spellers can a school advance?
You should reach out to the coordinator of the bee you are advancing to in order to determine the correct number of spellers to send. In most cases, a school will only send one student, their champion, to the next level.
2. DISTRICT LEVEL COORDINATORS
Spelling Bee Rules
District Resources
District coordinators do not have access to a spellingbee.com profile. Instead, district coordinators receive their pronouncer’s guide for their bee by emailing the Arizona Spelling Bee Director at projects@azedfoundation.org.
Study Materials for Spellers
School champions should use the “Words of the Champions” document to study and prepare for all future levels of the spelling bee. School coordinators can find the “Words of the Champions” in their school spelling bee dashboard.
Advancing to a County Bee
View the coordinator directory to contact to register your district champion.
How many spellers can advance?
Please verify with your county coordinator how many spellers will advance from your district spelling bee. In Maricopa County, a district bee can send forward a number of spellers equal to the number of schools participating in the spelling bee divided by 4. This number may be rounded up based on the discretion of the Maricopa County Regional Spelling Bee Coordinator.
3. COUNTY/REGIONAL LEVEL COORDINATORS
Spelling Bee Rules
County/Regional Resources
County and regional coordinators do not have access to a spellingbee.com profile. Instead, coordinators receive their pronouncer’s guide for their bee by emailing the Arizona Spelling Bee Director: at projects@azedfoundation.org.
Study Materials for Spellers
School champions should use the “Words of the Champions” document to study and prepare for all future levels of the spelling bee. School coordinators can find the “Words of the Champions” in their school spelling bee dashboard.
Advancing to the Arizona Spelling Bee
Once you’ve completed your county or regional bee, please fill out the Arizona Spelling Bee registration form also email projects@azedfoundation.org, to confirm the name of the speller you are advancing.
How many spellers can advance?
Maricopa County Regions, Pima County, and Pinal County advance their champion and runner-up. All other counties advance their champion only.
MARICOPA COUNTY ONLY:
Due to population, Maricopa County is divided into six regions, with each region containing several districts. Each year, in the interest of fairness, districts take turns hosting the regional qualifier for their group of districts. The regional qualifier determines which students from that Maricopa County region will advance to the Arizona Spelling Bee State Finals. AEF notifies each district when it is their turn to host.
AEF hopes that when it is a district’s turn to host, they will keep in mind how other districts have hosted their spellers in the past. In the event a district refuses to host a regional qualifier when it is their turn, they will disqualify their district from advancing to a regional qualifier.
ARIZONA COUNTY & REGIONAL SPELLING BEE COORDINATORS DIRECTORY
Maricopa County is divided into six regions according to public school district boundaries. Charter, private, and home-schools should use their physical address to find their region based on what public school boundary they reside within. Search this resource with your school address to help you determine which district boundary your school is within.
Apache – All Apache
Tobie Overson; toverson@apachecountyschools.net; (928)337-7544
Cochise County – All Cochise
Cynthia Meyers; cmeyers@cochise.az.gov; office: 520-803-3382; cell: 520-732-0121
Coconino County – All Coconino
Stacy Fobar; sfobar@coconino.az.gov; (928) 679-8070
Gila County – All Gila
Vanessa Barajas; vbarajas@gilacountyaz.gov; (928) 961-2417
Graham County – All Graham
Janessa Durr; jdurr@graham.az.gov
Greenlee County – All Greenlee
Angelica Campos; acampos@greenlee.az.gov; (928) 865-2822
La Paz County – All La Paz
Ariana Flores; aflores@lapazcountyaz.org; (928) 669-6183
Maricopa Region 1 – Kyrene, Mesa, Tempe
Jessica Vezey; jlvezey@mpsaz.org
Sasha Litzenberger; sdlitzenberger@mpsaz.org; 480-472-7217
Maricopa Region 2 – Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Deer Valley
Meghan Linch; mlinch@ccusd93.net; 480-575-2075; 480-734-6861
Maricopa Region 3 – Alhambra, Balz, Cartwright, Creighton, Isaac, Laveen, Madison, Murphy, Osborn, Phoenix Elementary, Riverside, Roosevelt, Wilson
Laura Webb; lwebb@madisoned.org; (602) 664-7925
Maricopa Region 4 – Aguila, Glendale, Morristown, Peoria, Washington, Wickenburg
Rebecca Moehring; rmoehring@gesd40.org; 623-237-7234
Maricopa Region 5 – Arlington, Avondale, Buckeye, Dysart, Fowler, Gila Bend, Liberty, Litchfield, Littleton, Mobile, Nadaburg, Paloma, Palo Verde, Pendergast, Ruth, Fisher/ Saddle Mountain, Sentinel, Tolleson, Union
Rosaura Martinez; martinez.rosaura@littletonaz.org; (602) 526-0351
Maricopa Region 6 – Chandler, Gilbert, Higley, Queen Creek
Autumn Sample; sample.autumn@cusd80.com; 480-812-7612
Mohave County – All Mohave
Kate McNalley; mcnalk@mohave.gov
Navajo County – All Navajo
Margarita Mike; margarita.mike@navajocountyaz.gov
Pima County – All Pima
Marianne Landrith; marianne.landrith@pima.gov; 520-724-8995
Pinal County – All Pinal
Rachelle Adey; radey@pinalesa.org
Santa Cruz County – All Santa Cruz
Julie Ulrich; julrich@nusd.k12.az.us
Yavapai County – All Yavapai
Jenn Nelson; jenn.nelson@yavapaiaz.gov; 928-442-5138; 928-771-3326
Yuma County – All Yuma
Elizabeth Valenzuela; evalenzuela@apscc.org; 928-373-1190