Tempe Union recognizes three A+ Schools of Excellence; procurement office honored for high-volume purchasing

Superintendent Dr. Stacia Wilson used her report to recognize three district high schools — Marcos de Niza, Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista — as Arizona Educational Foundation A+ Schools of Excellence for 2025. Dr. Wilson called the designation the “highest state level award given to public schools in Arizona,” noting the award follows an intense application process and is valid for four years.

The superintendent invited school leaders to stand; she named Marcos de Niza principal Brent Brown, Mountain Pointe principal Tamika Banks (with assistant principal Don Baker representing Mountain Pointe at a playoff basketball game), and Desert Vista principal Stacy White and Jen Summers. Dr. Wilson said the designation provides opportunities for professional development, student engagement and community partnerships and called the schools models of best practices in Arizona education.

Procurement recognition: Dr. Wilson also recognized the district purchasing department for Procurement Recognition Month. She read staff names including Director Patricia Criswell and team members Kayla Amato, Erica Edelstein, Miguel Hernandez and Cindy Hostetler and reported the department processed 6,526 purchase orders last fiscal year representing “over $115,000,000 in purchases.” She said the department conducts outreach to local vendors and small businesses and provides professional development to sites.

Board acknowledgement: Board members congratulated the schools and procurement staff during the meeting. No board votes were required for the recognitions.