December School Boards wrap up

Even though schools were out of session for winter break most of December, that didn’t stop our school boards from voting on big items like budget revisions, approval of new contracts, and stamps of approval on new construction. 

Now here’s your quick December wrap-up for Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Peoria, and Tucson school districts: 

School Board Members: Courtney Davis, Lacy Chaffee, Sharon Benson, Marcie Hutchinson, and Rachel Walden  

• Mesa voted to approve a contract to replace the roof at Smith Junior High School. 

• The board also made small revisions to the FY2025/26 budget, specifically the Classroom Site Fund and District Additional Assistance, and briefly outlined the expected solutions for shortfalls that will impact FY2027.  

• They also approved an extensive list of supplemental materials for courses across Mesa Public Schools to help achieve college, career, and community preparedness. 

School Board Members: Patti Serrano, Barb Mozdzen, Claudia Mendoza, Kurt Rhors, and Ryan Heap 

• CUSD board members approved a motion to rebuild Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School, aiming to reduce overall repair and maintenance costs for the aging campus.  

• The board also made revisions to the FY2025/26 budget in line with the core pillars of CUSD’s Journey to Excellence.

• Additionally, a contract with EMCOR was approved to replace the outdated HVAC system at Chandler High School.  

School Board Members: Jessie Brainard, Chad Thompson, Dr. Blake Robison, Jill Humpherys, Shana Murray 

• Gilbert approved a consent agenda item to replace the failed electrical supply service that supports the land lab at Mesquite High School.  

• They also approved a project to replace refrigeration systems at the Meats Lab Space at Gilbert High School.  

• Last on the approval list, GPS approved a proposal to replace the elevator’s hydraulic cylinder at Gilbert High School. 

School Board Members: Sandra Christensen, Anne Greenberg, Dr. Amanda Lim, Jessica Wani, and Tony Pantera 

• PVUSD board members approved a series of policies in line with new statewide legislation to adjust the Governing Board policies, including: 
  • Changes to the student wireless communication device policy to limit acceptable student use of cell phones to educational purposes, in the case of an emergency, or if a student requires access for a medical condition. Social media use is limited to educational purposes. 
  • Changes allowing parents to opt their student out of a school-administered assessment if the student takes a different nationally recognized test outside of school and submits the official score to the school district, and to allow districts to use nationally recognized tests not administered by the district. 

• The board also approved a partnership with Soles4Souls to provide students experiencing homelessness with access to free new shoes and other essential items.  

School Board Members: Carine Werner, Mike Sharkey, Dr. Matt Pittinsky, Dr. Donna Lewis, and Amy Carney 

• Scottsdale Unified School District board members voted 3-2 this month to move forward with the closure and repurposing of Echo Canyon K-8 and Pima Elementary School beginning in the 2026/27 school year. These closures come at a time of declining school enrollment and budget shortfalls. 

School Board Members: Melissa Ewing, Becky Proudfit, Heather Rooks, Jeff Tobey, Janelle Bowles 

• Peoria adjusted its starting pay scale to reflect the new AZ minimum wage this month. In January 2026, the AZ state minimum wage will increase from $14.70 to $15.15. 

• Peoria also adjusted its Student Code of Conduct cell phone policy to include Pre-K in the K-8 cell phone away all day restrictions. 

• The board also approved an updated contract with OMNI RFP for a 2026 learning management system. 

School Board Members: Jennifer Eckstrom, Dr. Ravi Shah, Natalie Luna Rose, Val Romero, and Sadie Shaw 

• TUSD approved the construction of a new building at Davis-Romero Bilingual Elementary Magnet School. The building will serve as the home for the school’s Mariachi program and include three additional classrooms to expand access for waitlisted students. 

• Board Members also approved the construction of a new building at Rincon/University High School to replace the current portables with permanent structures. 

Thanks for reading this month’s update! 

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