[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6634354,"mediaKeyId","5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73","parentId",5692041,"title","Board approves agenda and consent items; meeting adjourned by unanimous roll call","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",64000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73&start=64&end=64","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73/thumbnail_64000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6634354/Arizona/Board-approves-agenda-and-consent-items-meeting-adjourned-by-unanimous-roll-call","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634354-cd259fb2a78a68fe06fc3b8fcb82f862/orig.mp4?Expires=1775118351&Signature=OlfPzhsoyrkQEzzImUfS6U~mwcL0sRTK86NRjsyGMoZI-0vlvDQ3CjYoPoNLfK0HqAlJZEabe-fWlu3myERXHDxF3mnDcdZpKheZLNDKR5uFBPhCd~Qz0BKoy0XiuzGZO9qLu2JZMQJRE4RyCRjgvAFZyEyP77qRv1VDnXmWqSMdipGRsQ6Enje533zOZ-bboqOUeqTizcuVgjGj-FQ2jpW0FMzDbKxKtJPcE6WkVG1CUEhEvlmTNCv9cTG7K-0IkLpDuUb2nL5DENFwtl9g69oeNadtSHXnZEmfbvqA8MCw-TELS7pA0WolOlMdEqLLIkYqAHKJEz6WuiZNdGhBYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sunnyside Unified District (4407)","date","2025-06-04T21:28:09Z","article","The Sunnyside Unified School District governing board recorded three formal roll-call votes during Tuesday evening’s meeting.

At the start of the meeting the board adopted the agenda as presented following a motion and a second. The chair conducted a roll-call vote with members Mister Bustamante, Miss Hernandez, Mister Jaramillo, Mister Rodriguez and Missus Quintero all recorded as voting \"Aye.\" The motion passed.

Later in the meeting the board approved the consent agenda by roll-call vote. The same members were recorded as voting \"Aye\" and the motion passed.

At the close of the meeting the board voted to adjourn; roll call again recorded \"Aye\" votes from the same members and the meeting was adjourned.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Governing Board Meeting - August 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Sunnyside Unified School District governing board approved the meeting agenda and the consent agenda by roll-call votes and later voted to adjourn; all recorded votes were affirmative.","taxTitle","Sunnyside Unified District (4407), School Districts, Arizona","taxId",13629,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6634358,"Sunnyside superintendent highlights new Barrio Nopal park, attendance gains and community donations; board honors two 40 Under 40 honorees",528,157000,685000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73&start=157&end=685","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73/thumbnail_157000.jpg","/articles/6634358/Arizona/Sunnyside-superintendent-highlights-new-Barrio-Nopal-park-attendance-gains-and-community-donations-board-honors-two-40-Under-40-honorees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634358-a273f8f52c870d92106bcc95a209439c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775118351&Signature=CkAV7aSuQBx49hZs6D09uPlAJ1ufd2D6U9uUT3xIhJtdO-~29Go8A1T9DtUuhPHiN0GZMd~jn2-EwtClf9uYa2oQkoElkNstNfRg5rldvIHKA1u95cEOnOeB-Km~lz1Yo0Q3D4XV~hPL3XQJ2Z8R6pNHASrp5dmbDm4Xq5xCqKxYqrlFHiyOrti5fGu2EiKm0nnzs1C5S-E2DMdlQ4kTRgU8NowuCdUk2X6mZWGVk276BrVlOmEZorlrNjRcSSvLhNusJSflIrip7Pi9RyNDTSFglK1Y6n9rba6Q03WVoZBAwao9DP0M7qp-KayNCsXMJ77v2Oy5EW4U-14B1PYbBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Gastelum opened his report by noting the district joined the city of Tucson for the recent grand opening of Barrio Nopal Park and splash pad, a new recreation space located across from Challenger Middle School and within walking distance of Alvaro Elementary.

\"This park and splash pad is right across the street from Challenger Middle School and a short walk from Alvaro Elementary,\" Gastelum said, calling the investment an asset for students and families.

The superintendent reported that Sunnyside High School and many elementary schools have held student attendance at 90% or higher over the past three weeks, up from mid‑to‑high‑80s last year. He credited programs such as career and technical education, fine arts and clubs for helping keep students engaged.

The district also acknowledged recent community donations: First Precision Construction donated 40 backpacks and school supplies to the Opportunity Center at Los Ranchitos; Charlene Gutierrez and William G. Valenzuela's Pay It Forward Foundation donated supplies to Liberty Elementary; and Tucson Spectrum Dentistry and local artist Alex Valenzuela hosted back-to-school drives for Elvira Elementary.

Board President Quintero led a recognition of two Sunnyside honorees who were named to a regional \"40 Under 40\" list. The board invited Natalie Townsend and Matthew Coody from Sunnyside High School to the dais and praised their leadership.

","Superintendent and board recognized community donations and attendance improvements and celebrated two Sunnyside representatives honored in a regional 40 Under 40 event.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6634362,"Sunnyside special-education director outlines staffing challenges and program changes",1097,2739000,3836000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73&start=2739&end=3836","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73/thumbnail_2739000.jpg","/articles/6634362/Arizona/Sunnyside-special-education-director-outlines-staffing-challenges-and-program-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634362-710d8921b03d986c0826eb4db7c93386/orig.mp4?Expires=1775118351&Signature=iLcFL0AqwK1IIIJeIZOkpL02ZLGadVv5n2dNuyLg80mkG7XJY6jZ6T7MV~YsSLNLxPJcgDh6EPM8MSkL38kpK71-y-wjIzeLnpDXjrm1lSdwevJh0rUBgoJ-9Gh8JOXnA7LUMXf4oZjEaYpYh7Dwoj65EknNZX0Pz-SIIkKqHh1N79CJxhcvZo-BmpHfcoBP2aAT~B~qTukwIKKEPHayz7Sm40r5iH6gxRsIuNnjD8DszvrpzbtO4Y7R7~19tgLq8GQCH5KnqML~rUQe0mG5tDALN-eNcfOu9w8yH2p694dGNMD6SQCFNH3kCQWbgpQS7jHf~qRXqNS~GIH8L5lJPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maura Engel, the district’s new director of special education, gave the board a high-level status report Tuesday on specialized programs, staffing and enrollment trends.

Engel said the district serves 2,053 students with individualized education programs (IEPs), which she described as roughly 16% of Sunnyside’s student population. \"It's a pretty good amount of students that we have that we work with,\" Engel said.

She listed the district’s self-contained program counts for students with autism and other significant disabilities: Los Niños, three classrooms; Mission Manor, five classrooms; Rivera, one classroom; Apollo, one classroom; and Sunnyside High School, one classroom for autism self-contained placements. For social-emotional self-contained programs she said there are 33 students distributed with Sierra (10), Desert View (10) and Sunnyside High School (13). For students with intellectual and multiple disabilities she said 117 students are in self-contained classrooms with program locations including Santa Clara (three classrooms), Challenger (one), Apollo (one), Desert View (two) and Sunnyside High School (four).

Engel described two newly created restrictive (D‑level) placements for students with very significant behavioral or medical needs: Mission Manor, which accepted four additional students, and a new program at Los Ranchitos currently serving one student. She said typical self-contained classrooms in the district will staff one teacher and three paraprofessionals/PCAs, with most classrooms serving 10–12 students.

Engel and board members discussed workforce pressures. The special-education director said the district has been unable to fill several specialized roles and relies on vendor contracts in some areas: five vendor speech-language pathologists and three vendor psychologists were in use at the time of the report, and vacancies existed for occupational therapists and adaptive physical-education teachers. \"There aren't enough people going into the field,\" Engel said, noting a high statewide burnout rate and an average three-year tenure for new special-education teachers.

On funding, Engel said the district primarily relies on maintenance-and-operation (M&O) funds for program costs and uses IDEA (federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funds where applicable; she said IDEA allocations had been reduced this past year.

Engel outlined retention and recruitment steps, including increased training for general- and special-education staff, adding program specialists (Jerry Holmes and Thad Dugan), and building deeper university partnerships to attract interns; she said the district had four interns this year from programs including Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona.

\"Fair isn't everybody getting the same thing. Fair is everybody getting what they need in order to be successful,\" Engel said, summarizing the department’s approach to inclusion and supports.

","Director Maura Engel presented district special-education enrollment, new restrictive placements, classroom staffing plans and recruitment/retention strategies amid statewide shortages.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6634366,"Sunnyside curriculum team outlines new ELA, science, math and social-studies rollouts",1530,1136000,2666000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73&start=1136&end=2666","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692041-6541d25593c2a97fc203b1897bb65e73/thumbnail_1136000.jpg","/articles/6634366/Arizona/Sunnyside-curriculum-team-outlines-new-ELA-science-math-and-social-studies-rollouts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634366-f3e062c65ae129d00888af91884f0c95/orig.mp4?Expires=1775118351&Signature=NFn6HUhBysUis-flzhRaQfDyBKWOQba1856GSej24oKBbJPEqHuV~iyO9IjazZPUN9rHlTfdLADDx--YeXRiqi1hFkqxgomWSPh3vvDAY818cpmNJm5rXNJQvNUk5yyqmOQp~U6tM6xEcLMboDk21JOP9fO9Xi32ytFiwpQc6hMtfJlc2PdKJCDK~I5D1bdrK~u1eSUW3Tiep6-hDbS6kngCyN1XHtSrYNoDSTnpgM82vLSdBR7NcRwBWZ0ksIi1bW9qHb~8pzZ4spTpFsWWp0ogqIWhRYFjnAqOWYTGKkmirwez37i5KMaJ5~hfD0NMC43WIF-pDvZHz8a~~owYAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pam Benton, director of curriculum and instruction for Sunnyside Unified School District, told the governing board Tuesday evening that the district has rolled out several curriculum updates and supports aimed at improving classroom coherence and teacher readiness.

The most visible change is a new set of English language arts materials. Michelle Gottlieb, the district’s director of English language arts and language acquisition, said the district updated kindergarten through fifth-grade EL Education modules and adopted CommonLit for grades 6–8. \"Formative assessment strategies are built into this curriculum,\" Gottlieb said, adding that teachers reported feeling ready to use the new materials after two days (16 hours) of professional learning.

The curriculum team also described science and social-studies changes. Elementary schools are piloting two OpenSci units while middle- and high-school science courses are using the OpenSci curriculum adopted last year; the district renewed a partnership for physics instruction with Pure Physics. For social studies, the district is expanding use of Discovery Education materials in grades 6–8 and adding selected high-school resources to bolster inquiry units.

Math work is focused on data-driven placement and interventions, the presenters said. A district math lead summarized a multi-year effort to compile historical math data sheets that identify students for honors and dual-enrollment pathways and flag credit-recovery needs. The presenter emphasized instructional planning and student-work analysis anchored in a CPA (concrete–pictorial–abstract) approach.

District staff discussed how AI tools are being incorporated into instruction in limited, skill-building ways. \"It's not about 'write my essay for me,' but it's about how do I become a skilled prompt writer?\" Benton said, describing efforts to help teachers guide students in using AI as an editing and idea-generation tool rather than a shortcut.

Board members asked about rollout communication. Gottlieb said the district previewed middle-grade units with teachers in the spring and included site leaders and instructional coaches in early professional learning. Science staff said they used targeted Wednesday professional development and vendor demonstrations to pilot materials before board consideration.

District leaders asked principals and teachers to report implementation issues as they arise and said the district will continue targeted professional learning and site-level support through the school year.

","District curriculum leaders described this year’s new English/language arts modules, middle-school CommonLit adoption, science pilots and a data-driven math focus, and said some curricula include guidance on classroom use of AI.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves agenda and consent items; meeting adjourned by unanimous roll call

Sunnyside superintendent highlights new Barrio Nopal park, attendance gains and community donations; board honors two 40 Under 40 honorees

Sunnyside special-education director outlines staffing challenges and program changes

Sunnyside curriculum team outlines new ELA, science, math and social-studies rollouts