February School Boards Recap

Here’s your quick February 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 School Board members approved a grant for Eisenhower Center for Innovation to apply for $540,000 in funding that would support free after‑school tutoring, enrichment, and childcare through the Boys & Girls Club from 2026–2031, covering staffing and resources for participating students. 

• Board members also approved a grant for Stevenson Elementary to apply for $540,000 in funding that would support free after‑school tutoring, enrichment, and childcare through the Boys & Girls Club from 2026–2031, covering staffing and resources for students. 

• Lastly, board members approved a proposal for Sirrine Montessori Center to allow 4th–6th grade students to take a field trip to Biosphere 2 and the Arizona‑Sonora Desert Museum in March 2026 with more than 100 parents submitting surveys in support of the field trip. 

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

• Chandler Unified School District board members approved closing Hill Academy @ ICAN beginning in 2027 as part of the transition to Ken “Chief” Hill Learning Academy, which has the space to absorb remaining students and already has a transition plan in place for families and state reporting. 

• The board members also approved a series of campus upgrades, including $1.52 million in renovations to convert Culinary Arts classrooms at Basha and Casteel high schools into industry‑standard instructional spaces, funded with CTE capital dollars. They also approved flooring replacements across Andersen Elementary, CTA Independence, CTA Freedom, Ryan Elementary, and Payne Junior High, each replacing aging carpet and vinyl, using 2025 Bond funds for a combined investment of more than $1.47 million. 

• CUSD board members approved a $125,082 contract to refurbish two aging cooling towers at Perry High School’s central plant, using 2019 bond funds to complete the preventative maintenance needed to keep the school’s cooling system operating reliably. 

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

• Gilbert Public Schools board members approved continuing their intergovernmental agreement with the City of Mesa so the district can keep receiving solid‑waste and recycling collection services. 

• Board members also approved routine budget revisions, updating their unrestricted capital budget to reflect changes in state funding, carry‑forward balances, and interest earnings. 

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

• Paradise Valley Unified School District board members approved several furniture refresh projects to fund new classroom furniture across Palomino Intermediate, Quail Run Elementary, Greenway Middle School, and Cactus View Elementary, updating classrooms with new furnishings through District Contract 23‑16PV. 

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

• Scottsdale Unified School District board members reviewed recommendations from the K–11 and upper‑level math adoption committee to approve and purchase new math curriculum materials for use in classrooms beginning in the 2026–27 school year. 

• SUSD board members approved revised attendance boundaries for Pima Elementary following the school’s planned repurposing for the 2026–27 school year. A boundary committee of staff and parents reviewed multiple options, and the board held a public hearing in February to gather community input before finalizing the new boundaries. 

• Lastly, board members approved new instructional materials, including NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training for the CTE Sports Medicine pathway, Medical Terminology: Mastering the Basics for the CTE Nursing Services program, and All Things EQ Academic & Leadership Skills for Desert Canyon Middle School. 

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

• Peoria Unified School District board members voted to begin the process of interviewing candidates to replace Superintendent KC Summers, who is resigning and will step down on June 1. 

• Board members also approved updated cooperative contracts that allow the district to continue purchasing cybersecurity services, sports‑court maintenance, and sheet music and instrument services. The new agreements replace older contracts that recently expired and designate updated vendors for each service area. 

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

• Tucson Unified School District board members approved a $350 supplemental curriculum purchase for 9th‑grade English at Pueblo High School, using Title I funds to add a modern mythological fiction text that supports students’ study of The Odyssey with more accessible language. 

• TUSD board members also approved a new dual‑credit course, Administration of Justice (AJS) 109 – Criminal Law, which will allow 12th‑grade students to earn college credit through Pima Community College while also meeting their high‑school government requirement. The course introduces students to the criminal justice system, constitutional law, ethics, and policy‑making, with an emphasis on college‑level research and writing. 

• Lastly, they approved a lease agreement allowing Premium Parking to use 22 spaces at Carrillo K–5 Magnet School during non‑school hours for downtown event overflow parking, with the district receiving 50% of net revenue and staff retaining free access to the lot at all times. 

Thanks for reading this month’s update! 

If you missed January’s update, you can read it here.

Check out more: