Mesa Public Schools unveils district-office reorganization, names six executive directors

Dr. Matthew Strum, superintendent of Mesa Public Schools (Mesa Unified District 4235), on Wednesday outlined a district-office reorganization intended to reduce central-office costs while preserving classroom resources and introduced six executive directors who will lead regional "learning communities." Strum said the restructuring reduces 40 full-time equivalent positions at the district level and will save "about $3,600,000." He said the changes shrink the assistant-superintendent tier from 11 to 6 and reduce district directors from 27 to 22.

The reorganization, Strum said, is a response to a sustained budget gap linked to demographics and declining student enrollment. "We graduate about 4,500 maybe this year, and we bring in about 3,100, 3,200 kindergartners," he told the forum, adding that state funding follows student population. "We're trying not to affect schools in the classroom as much as we possibly can," Strum said.

The forum introduced the six senior leaders who will serve as executive directors for 2026–27: Monica Messa (named chief of schools for 2026–27; currently assistant superintendent, East Area elementary schools), Casey Baxter (principal, Franklin Accelerated Academy East Campus), Amy Dela Torre (director of federal programs), Hector Estrada (district leader and former high school principal), Arlinda Mann (assistant superintendent, West elementary schools), Genesee Avila Montez (district principal coach), and Steve Tannenbaum (principal, Red Mountain High School). Several of the leaders described their plans to build two-way communication with principals, staff, students and families, to use regional data to drive instruction, and to strengthen transitions across feeder patterns from preschool through high school.

Strum said the learning-community supervision structure will not redraw school attendance boundaries; it is intended as a supervision and coaching model so executive directors can be "present and available in their regions." "This is a supervision structure," he said, explaining that a principal will still feed the same junior-high or high-school pathway, but for supervisory purposes will work with an executive director assigned to the region where a majority of its students attend. He cited research about manageable supervisory spans, saying assistant superintendents previously supervised "30 to 35 principals," which he called "not doable," and that the new structure aims for smaller spans so leaders can support teaching and learning.

At the forum, the executive directors said they will build connections by being visible on campuses, holding regular principal meetings, creating feedback loops, and amplifying staff and student voices. On measuring academic and "durable" skills (the district nd its leaders called these "the portrait of the graduate" or the district's five domains), speakers described using a mix of quantitative benchmarks (FastBridge, HMH, Horizon, local benchmarks) and qualitative evidence (classroom walkthroughs, student and family feedback) to guide coaching and targeted interventions. Several leaders stressed the need to align kindergarten-through-12th-grade instruction and to make data "active" rather than simply collected.

Strum and the executive directors repeatedly emphasized community involvement: the forum organizer noted more than 1,700 completed community surveys that informed the evening's questions. Strum asked attendees to share positive stories about Mesa Public Schools in their neighborhoods as the district implements the changes.

The forum did not record a formal vote on the reorganization; Strum said the six leaders had already been approved by the school board earlier in the process. Forum remarks focused on implementation plans, supervision spans, communication strategies, and how executive directors will use regional data to support continuous improvement and smoother student transitions.

The district will post the newly advertised jobs and allow staff affected by the reorganization to apply; Strum said employees would have "an equal opportunity to apply" and acknowledged the human impact of requiring staff to reapply for roles. He said the chosen approach aims to protect school-based assets and limit effects on classroom staff.

Officials said next steps include placing the newly selected executive directors into learning communities, finalizing job descriptions for posted positions, and continued outreach to families and staff via regional engagement channels and the district website QR code used during the forum.