Parents, students urge AJUSD to reinstate local coaches and lower facility fees

Dozens of parents, students and community members told the Apache Junction Unified School District governing board on July 20 that recent coaching hires and rental fees for school facilities are making it difficult for nonprofit youth teams to operate and are driving families away from the district.

At the meeting, speakers described a pattern of decisions they said undercut long-standing local volunteer coaches and feeder programs that prepare students for junior high and high school athletics. "The recent fees you have implemented for nonprofit club teams make it nearly financially impossible for these organizations who operate strictly off of donations to rent your facilities and run their programs," said Jill Bridal, a parent and AJUSD alumna. Bridal also noted the district charges the teams more than local governments to mark fields: "How can the city only charge $18 to chalk a football field, but you wanna charge between 600 and $2,000 to do the same thing?"

Speakers repeatedly cited the district's decision not to hire local coach John Connolly (spelled Conley/Connolly in remarks) for a varsity basketball position. Jackson Salas, a student, said, "Coach Conley has been a great coach for me, and I can't thank him enough for helping me improve my skills so much." Multiple parents and former program volunteers said the coach had run feeder teams, organized fundraising, donated equipment and built relationships with players over several years; they said passing him over left fall and winter programs without continuity.

Parents also described operational problems with facility scheduling and staffing. Christie Martinez said she and other volunteers spent the summer trying to secure gym time and received cancellations and days when no one showed up to open doors. Stephanie Ellis, who said she is secretary and treasurer of the Black and Gold football nonprofit, said the organization had been quoted $1,400 to use the field twice and $35 per hour for practice, while Parks and Rec charged about $16 for similar work.

Multiple speakers linked the personnel and facilities concerns to broader enrollment trends. "Does it concern you that half of the campus is closed because enrollment has declined?" asked Natalie Celes, a former district employee. Roberto Revelas, who described 24 years working on Capitol Hill, urged the community to contact elected officials about school funding cuts that he said contributed to district challenges.

The board heard pleas to "put the kids first," ensure every class has a teacher and hire coaches with ties to the community. Several speakers said families are considering transferring to other districts so students can play organized sports. Board members did not announce decisions on hiring or facility fees at the meeting; the public-comment period concluded with the board moving on to other agenda items.

The meeting record includes multiple individual speakers and nearly a dozen public commenters who discussed these issues during the public comment portion of the agenda. No formal board action on hiring or rental-fee policy was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided.