[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6623324,"mediaKeyId","2771742-4e36f39ef83cbea012eb406b7c726a44","parentId",2771742,"title","Tolleson board chair says member violated procedures; public speakers raise concerns about staff nonrenewals, possible investigation","audioSeconds",112,"startMs",1351000,"endMs",1463000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2771742-4e36f39ef83cbea012eb406b7c726a44&start=1351&end=1463","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2771742-4e36f39ef83cbea012eb406b7c726a44/thumbnail_1351000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6623324/Arizona/Tolleson-board-chair-says-member-violated-procedures-public-speakers-raise-concerns-about-staff-nonrenewals-possible-investigation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623324-e694b3eebe83c70ab1e8ca6f84f10026/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136625&Signature=fsbAVd9lK9L6SMMPEtuXRPtZu3fWIJaYw37U02CFI-SB-tM~UCT7yNuANx2GmBrEb-YPA06387w3euNIB~oVP8NlLfnVGP-LjxUcE3Sl4f6jMgUz--ajCTO8qMAfIIW12PZfRBdinc7PdBo0AS0ptxlsUwUDfN7fRf~q5iKh8BAQUeCixChIUcWeTQ7GInuCAbtRLvazcfu4iuiJ21wxS7Mi7LAVqpemluHvPPYb4ysDxgoEGW6vZkfMn53vozjw-ajySzCvTcF-v6P7V0DHo1s7rgSJkt2FvS3fYeR5k2KZEHT9uPsYBHL214hwwXgZTjsDiNBixdTUfC69po601Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tolleson Union High School District","date","2025-03-26T02:59:26.187Z","article","Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board President Sun said the board is considering a formal investigation after a contentious last meeting in which a board member repeatedly interrupted discussion and public comments raised concerns about staff nonrenewals and alleged disclosures of executive-session matters.

President Sun told the board the district follows its own policies and Arizonas open meeting law, not Roberts Rules of Order, and said legal counsel had confirmed the districts voting policy (BDF) requires votes recorded as \"ayes, nays, or abstain.\" She said claims that the district spent $1.5 million on a single new high school design were incorrect and that that total reflected multiple projects across the district.

The clarification came amid public comments from employees and community members who said they had been notified their contracts would not be renewed and asked the board to explain the process. Chris Mendoza, identifying himself as the districts facilities management supervisor, said he received a nonrenewal notice and told the board: \"I just received notification on Monday, March 3 ... I was a non renewal for the year for the fiscal year, FY2526.\" Principal of discipline Mr. Prado said he also filed a complaint earlier this school year and later learned he was being nonrenewed.

Why it matters: Board conduct and the handling of personnel actions affect staff morale, confidentiality obligations and public trust. President Sun warned that public discussion of matters from executive session can trigger legal exposure, citing federal student-privacy protections under FERPA and the legal confidentiality of some executive-session topics.

Meeting actions and immediate outcomes: The board approved the regular meeting agenda after a motion and second. During that roll call, Dr. Luna Herrera voted \"no,\" while Mr. Del Palacio, Mr. Ortega Romero, Mr. Chapman and President Sun recorded \"yes.\" Later, the governing board approved the consent agenda but tabled consent item 7 (an agreement with Teach For America) for separate consideration; the roll-call discussion on the consent vote included at least one dissenting vote and a recorded public objection by Dr. Luna Herrera that she was being asked to vote without information.

Public comment and board response: Several speakers used the public-comment period to raise personnel concerns and to request legal clarification. Jen Barnett, vice president of the Tolleson Union Education Association, said union members planned visible actions to support public education. Teachers and staff who spoke described feeling blindsided by nonrenewal notices and asked the board to explain how decisions were made and to allow board members access to confidential information where legally permitted.

Board policy and counsel: President Sun cited board policy BDF and said counsel had confirmed the districts approach to voting and meeting procedure is consistent with Arizona statutes. A district attorney representative present said the boards school-attorney policy (BDG) permits the district to retain private counsel when the board deems it in the districts best interest and that the superintendent and board president (or a designee) are the designated contacts with counsel.

Whats next: President Sun said the board would provide more information at a future meeting and that the possibility of a formal investigation into the alleged public disclosures and procedural violations was under consideration. Several board members and speakers asked for legal counsel to clarify what information could be shared with individual board members about personnel actions.

Ending: Board members asked staff to address outstanding requests for information at a later agendized item and reiterated that responses to public-comment criticism are governed by policy and statute. The board moved on to other agenda items and celebration presentations.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","TUHSD Board Meeting 3/25/25 Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board President Sun said the board is considering a formal investigation after interruptions, alleged misinformation and public comments tied to personnel nonrenewals disrupted a recent meeting.","taxTitle","Tolleson Union High School District (4288), School Districts, Arizona","taxId",64155,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6623314,"University High School presents academic and extracurricular achievements to Tolleson board",476,1879000,2355000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2771742-4e36f39ef83cbea012eb406b7c726a44&start=1879&end=2355","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2771742-4e36f39ef83cbea012eb406b7c726a44/thumbnail_1879000.jpg","/articles/6623314/Arizona/University-High-School-presents-academic-and-extracurricular-achievements-to-Tolleson-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623314-4e3be7f2697a4841120a7e2abe6c8712/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136625&Signature=iWlShRDdTdlj2pN6PQuC7WymEF5~X78v2875uKzLfkb5rsmO1jmPAXfsN4bSYwWXOZFsyNMBhrVHhlCsoHeFz1s8IV5GjKNmI0rtul6zQJV~cToE5iipt9qHX8PBlRRF5~PuMBWPs7prEIjt0JB7PzXXB4Ql6xgjr9q~XM7fEgtOXPpybkfkAi9~NGjK5rHRsbOdi1pWH2aAc0ECsJWz0g1cA0NbJYQoLXyrJmiAfZ16y7WhrAvB-GxV28kTWgxFliT1WLhAV5hnSZtFxVD9r7Be08xAG29tgUI8n7hFs5iwBGvkWP-3fWVq2z~qHBeHBmNHKSvEnKTCEx8unZfXFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University High School Principal Vicki Landis presented a summary of student and program accomplishments to the Tolleson board, highlighting academic outcomes and extracurricular successes.

Landis said University High School has been an A-rated school since that rating began, is ranked in the top 10 high schools in Arizona by U.S. News & World Report, and is the only Title I school in that top-10 group. She said the campus served students from 18 different elementary districts and that staff attendance at AP training and dual-enrollment programming remained a major focus.

Numbers and highlights Landis presented included more than 800 dual-enrollment credits earned by students, more than $10 million in scholarship offers to the class of 2024, and a reported 97 percent persistence rate for students moving from freshman to sophomore year in the cited cohort. Landis also noted programs and student achievements including AP Capstone, robotics and FIRST competitions, FCCLA state winners, and qualifiers for national competitions.

The presentation included several staff recognitions, student spotlights and descriptions of student-support strategies (registered counselor consultations, AP-support classes, and Title I tutoring). Teacher Sydney Wright and other staff were recognized for classroom innovations, including an AP research \"commitment ceremony\" Landis described as a way to engage students in long-term projects.

Why it matters: The presentation showcased academic gains, postsecondary attainment supports and extracurricular pathways that the school and district cite as evidence of college and career preparation for students in a diverse, Title I environment.

Ending: Board members praised Landis and staff for the academic outcomes and extracurricular successes and applauded students and teachers recognized during the presentation.

","University High School Principal Vicki Landis gave a detailed presentation highlighting the schools A rating, AP and dual-enrollment success, scholarship totals, persistence rates and extracurricular awards.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6623319,"CFO reviews Auditor General \"dollars in the classroom\" report; district highlights high teacher pay and reserves",275,4312000,4587000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2771742-4e36f39ef83cbea012eb406b7c726a44&start=4312&end=4587","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2771742-4e36f39ef83cbea012eb406b7c726a44/thumbnail_4312000.jpg","/articles/6623319/Arizona/CFO-reviews-Auditor-General-dollars-in-the-classroom-report-district-highlights-high-teacher-pay-and-reserves","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623319-03732d425fcdaaf4bd6293073472cd24/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136625&Signature=XsGllH4jB436HHk8KsA0U696JzHzOk7bqcnmkGtvWG8d~gv8OQEZ0fsf1oRMDyBzaL6tqAFAYLfrfwvMbM0Vg2K7p5gcaVvxqsWNLYvuvaGOJB87ZcjZzhUVdwIU9qYTz2GIny-QtkehoO6B8tZ0MDy0Pb33W-2jTjuoyLs7ngiV7ulU68dexdtPeu4GAMvi0L-2UvKD4595I7YP8PXkncEot6ZxzySlPlsbZ6RNmVKSNCSQzp1u-btck8OFhvg8uCcrWIQlmwu7DhUHnf8q-jVFZvkhmk8HVjFZqkrOyJc1ZbzFfg-z7KyYQ~7Vn3DYa2rBRw75WsxhKr1gW2jjVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tolleson Union High School District Chief Financial Officer Ken Hicks presented the Auditor Generals annual \"dollars in the classroom\" analysis and reviewed district financial trends, teacher pay and potential federal funding uncertainty.

Hicks told the board that the share of district expenditures coded to classroom functions (function 1000) was about 52.2 percent for the reporting year and that the Auditor Generals methodology has evolved over time. He said capital funding is not included in the classroom-percent calculation and that some funds and expenditures are excluded from the published analysis.

Why it matters: The Auditor Generals report is used statewide to compare district spending patterns. Hicks said Tollesons teacher salaries have risen and that the districts average teacher pay now sits well above the state average. That higher pay is a driver of the districts operating cost profile, but Hicks said the district has been building reserves so it can remain competitive on salaries even if grant or federal funding patterns change.

Federal funding and uncertainty: Board members asked about the effect of potential changes at the federal level. Hicks said districts are tracking proposals and that many federal dollars are pass-through funds administered by the state; he said the district had not seen detailed, binding federal guidance and that the primary concern is administrative disruption and changing compliance requirements. In discussion, speakers referenced a range of estimates for the federal share of district revenue; Hicks described federal funds as a minority of total revenue but did not provide a single definitive percentage in the meeting.

Selected figures and context presented to the board:
- Classroom-coded expenditures (function 1000): ~52.2 percent (as presented by CFO Ken Hicks).
- District administration per-student measure was above peer and state averages in the Auditor Generals categorization.
- Teacher salary trend: Tollesons teacher pay rose markedly over recent years and was above the state average in the presented comparison.

Board discussion and next steps: Members thanked the CFO for the overview. The board asked staff to continue monitoring federal developments and to report back if new information suggested changes to revenue assumptions or compliance requirements. Hicks said the districts reserves and recent budgeting choices were intended to provide flexibility should federal pass-throughs or entitlements be altered.

Ending: The board paused for a short recess following the presentation and asked that staff continue to brief the board on funding and compliance issues as legislative or federal developments occur.

","Tolleson Union High School District Chief Financial Officer Ken Hicks presented the annual Auditor General report on classroom spending, reporting roughly half of operating dollars coded to classroom functions and noting the district is above state averages on teacher pay and carrying reserves to insulate against federal funding uncertainty.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tolleson board chair says member violated procedures; public speakers raise concerns about staff nonrenewals, possible investigation

University High School presents academic and extracurricular achievements to Tolleson board

CFO reviews Auditor General "dollars in the classroom" report; district highlights high teacher pay and reserves