Some families send their kids to school. Some families have a mom or dad who works at a school.  Then there are the McElligotts -- a family that works, sleeps, breathes, lives and loves school.

Maybe the word “school” isn’t quite right. “Education” would be a better choice.

Both Lois and Paul McElligott, along with their daughter, Rachel, have made the advancement of local education their number one priority; both in themselves and for the lives of children and parents they affect each day.

For Lois, involvement with FHUSD began almost instantly upon arriving in Fountain Hills.

“When we moved here in 1992, I immediately got involved with the PTA (now the PTO),” Lois said. “Through that group I heard Joanne Meehan (principal of Four Peaks at the time) was interested in starting a Science Lab.

“With my background in science and monetary support from the PTA, I developed the Science Lab at Four Peaks and, a year or two later, when I became the president of the PTA, I established a PTA funding budget for science programs in our elementary schools.”

Lois also began the now famous Family Science Night in 1994 and continued volunteering until 2004 when she was hired by the district as a part-time consultant to help with K-12 science adoption.

This eventually led to the newly developed Science Resource Center within the district and, in 2006, Lois was finally brought on fulltime as a K-12 Curriculum Specialist.

Outside of the district Lois is involved in multiple academic organizations including the Arizona Science Coordinator’s Association, the Arizona Science Teacher’s Association and the Arizona Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Consortium.

While Lois eased her way further and further into a life of education, Paul started as a full-time substitute for Fountain Hills in 1998.

“Jean Paisley was principal then and it was quite a year,” Paul said.

“I started two months into the semester and was given an AP Physics class. I was able to get a few of the students to pass the exam; one of which is a Navy pilot today.”

Since then, Paul’s involvement with the district has grown just a wee bit.

Among the grocery list of classes, clubs and organizations he’s a part of are four honors classes and one AP class at the high school this year, Academic Decathlon, Robotics, The Research Club, Chess Club and SADD.

Paul is also the Fountain Hills Education Association president as well as being on the Meet and Confer negotiating team and the science department chair.

Paul also organizes multiple competitions including the successful Brain Storm group, SCC Math and Science Field Day and multiple Guinness world record attempts with his students.

Outside the district Lois plays piano for multiple community groups and is involved with her church while Paul is currently teaching at Phoenix College and Scottsdale Community College.

Through the years the McElligotts also managed to raise three children including 21-year-old David, who is currently pursuing a degree in electronic engineering, and 17-year-old Jon, who is currently a FHHS senior with plans of applying to ASU’s Herberger School of the Arts.

With their Fountain Hills roots sunk so firmly into education, though, it’s no surprise one of the younger McElligots would get involved in the same field. Enter 23-year-old Rachel, who in every respect is the FHUSD educational system.

“I went through all four schools when I was a student here,” Rachel said. “I personally know most of the faculty at the schools from having them when I was a student as well as working with them professionally now.”

After getting to know several local students working at the Summer School Paul heads up each year, Rachel entered the district with likely the best preparation possible.

Attending Grand Canyon University and achieving a double major in special education and regular education, along with a double minor in English and psychology, Rachel has returned to FHUSD in an area near and dear to her heart.

“I am teaching a special education resource room for second grade,” Rachel said.

“I am also the FHEA representative for McDowell Mountain. This past spring, I was working in a self-contained special education class with highly autistic children and commuting to Florence every day.”

Rachel said her first job was extremely crazy but she learned a lot about autism and how to be a good, compliant special education teacher and is glad to now be working at McDowell Mountain.

Rachel said she was drawn to special education because she herself had selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that creates an inability to speak within public environments, when she was younger.

“I think, personally, it was because I just liked to listen and observe more than speak,” Rachel said. “But it is ironic because I did not speak until third grade or [open up] until fourth grade with my teacher Kim King.”

Rachel said something just clicked with her and King because she made her feel more comfortable and at ease with publicly talking.

“I feel the stress and aloneness that special education students feel, in a way, because even though I did my work and had excellent grades, my teachers were unable to see why I wouldn’t talk,” Rachel said.

“There was still a barrier of frustration between the student and teacher.”

Rachel said it was these experiences that led her to her current path.

“I wanted to advocate for special education kids by becoming a teacher,” Rachel said. “One who accommodates for their individual needs and is respectful of what may be their weaker areas.”

In a family of educators, according to Lois, it was actually she who followed in her daughter’s footsteps, since Rachel knew many years ago exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up.

“She has always wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a young child, well before we got involved with education,” Lois said.

Lois said she remembers how her family had an easel in their living room and how Rachel would regularly sit her brothers down in her “classroom” chairs and teach them from her easel.

“Over the years, anytime her brothers expressed frustration with homework, she was always running to their side and wanting to help,” Lois said.

“I am incredibly proud of her accomplishments and her absolute enthusiasm for teaching. Maybe it’s something only a mother appreciates, but this is such a full circle moment.”

Paul, too, said it is great to see Rachel achieving her goals.

“She used to follow me into the college classroom and be my assistant,” Paul said. “She was a great helper then and I know she is a great teacher now.”

So it’s pretty clear the McElligotts have their hands in many facets of local education.

What little free time they have Lois said she likes to build puzzles and read while Paul likes to write, try to invent things and conduct his own experiments.

“I used to have a worm farm in our shower,” Paul said. “I did an experiment to see how easy it would be to run a self-sustaining worm farm that was above ground.”

Lois said the family also enjoys watching “goofy” movies and, on the first Wednesday of every month, they are some of the slim number of locals who attend School Board meetings religiously.

“It’s great entertainment, and we are so busy that it gives us an excuse to do something together,” Paul said.

While both Paul and Lois often speak at these meetings on behalf on any number of the classes, clubs and organizations they are involved with, it also serves as a unified event for the dedication to education this active family has made such a large part of their lives.

“Also, it’s a good reason to get a mocha frappaccino,” Lois said.

As for the future, expect the McElligott name to be firmly stamped on local education for some time to come.

“It’s more of a lifestyle than a job,” Lois said. “I thoroughly enjoy working with and supporting the teachers in our district…”

Paul agreed.

“I myself am an A-type workaholic when I enjoy what I do,” Paul said. “I tell the students that, whatever they do in life, make sure you really like or love it. It then becomes a joy to do.

“I love what I do.”