Parents, teachers urge Higley board to save elementary electives as board approves classroom-site fund plan

Community members and teachers pressed the Higley Unified School District governing board on Nov. 18 to protect elementary electives and signature programs such as the Mandarin dual-immersion strand, while the board moved forward with several policy votes and a Classroom Site Fund plan for 2025–26.

"Elementary electives teach kids for upwards of seven years from kindergarten through sixth grade," said Thomas Murphy, music teacher at Santan Elementary School, urging the board to preserve arts, music and library offerings that he said build the foundation for later grades. "We help build that foundation for students moving forward."

Multiple public speakers — including art and music teachers, parents and a sixth-grade student — described how electives support academic growth, attendance and students' emotional well-being. Jonathan Williard, an art teacher at Higley Traditional Academy, said arts programs are "investments in student success," while parent Travis White asked the board to prioritize Mandarin and use outreach to grow enrollment and stabilize funding.

Heather Balch, who cited the district override vote results, thanked the 7,717 people who voted "yes" and defended district transparency. "Higley has been more transparent in the recent years than at any point I can recall," she said, and she described a…