09-02-2025 Kyrene Governing Board Executive Session and Meeting

001Item 1.1, convene regular meeting. A regular meeting is called to order. It's 5.30 p.m. Item 1.2 is convene to executive session. I'll make a motion to convene to executive session. Is there a second to the motion? Second. Second by Vice President Nelson. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes 3-0. Board will not convene to executive session. All right. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to our regular governing board meeting for the Kyrene School District. Item 1.4 is to conclude our executive session. I'll make a motion to conclude our executive session. Is there a second to the motion? Second. I have a second by Member Satri. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes 5-0. I have a 2.1 is convene our regular meeting. Our regular meeting is convened. It

002is 6 p.m. Today is Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025. At this time, if you wish to speak to the governing board during the call to the public portion of the meeting, please turn in your blue card to our secretary, Ms. Nancy Mosier. She's seated up here. For anybody that's in our overflow room upstairs. If you've got a blue card, we'll give you a few more minutes to turn those in and come on down. Right now, we do have a packed house. So if you are in our overflow room, I just want to let you know that after we have a chance to recognize our amazing Kyrene Super students, we're going to take a quick recess and you all can come on down for any extra seats. So all of our school board meetings are held in

003public to conduct the business of the district. Our meetings are streamed live online to watch on the internet. And if you don't watch the meeting live, a recording of our meeting will be made available on our YouTube channel right after the meeting. All of our board agendas are posted at least 24 hours on our board website, as well as on the district front office right outside the front door. Our superintendent, Ms. Laura Tenius, as well as school leaders, community members, parents, families, and most importantly, Students are with us here this evening. Item 2.2 is roll call. Board members, could you please state your name for the record? Cedric Collins. Bunny Davis. Amy Sedry. Trina Nelson. And I'm Kevin Walsh. Let the record show we have... Five board members present this evening. Item 2.3 is a

004moment of silence and a pledge of allegiance. This is where I will invite a school leader to lead us in a moment of silence followed by the pledge. And I'd like to invite the principal from Kyrene De La Mariposa, Mr. Spencer Fallgetter, if you could. If you all stand. And Principal Fallgetter, we'd appreciate you leading us in the pledge. and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Principal Falketter. Item 2.4 is our district land acknowledgement. The Kyrene School District does acknowledge our community of schools. It is built on the ancestral lands of the O'odham and Peeposh peoples who have had these lands since time immemorial. And with this land acknowledgement, the district formally recognizes traditional keeping and care by these lands from

005Native peoples allows us to be here today. Item 2.5 is our Kyrene Promise. This is the promise we repeat at every single one of our board meetings. It's the promise that this district makes to all of our families. You can see it here on the screen. We promise to provide welcoming, inclusive learning environments in which every student is honored, valued, and feels a strong sense of belonging and purpose. We promise to provide rigorous, responsive learning environments in which every student is given what they need to develop knowledge, skills, confidence, and a passion for learning. And we promise to provide vibrant, world-class learning environments in which every student believes they are empowered and prepared to make a meaningful impact on a rapidly changing world. That is the Kyrene promise. All right. Item 3.1, preview and approval

006of agenda. Board members, comments on the agenda tonight. I'm going to make one quick suggestion. Normally, our board committee reports pop up towards the end of the meeting. That's currently item 9.1. However, given the amount of community engagement we have tonight regarding the long-range planning committee, I thought it might be nice to just bump that update up to follow right after our super students. and before public comment, if that works for everybody. Yeah. Good. All right. With that, I'll make a motion to approve the agenda as modified. Is there a second? Second. Second by Member Davis. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? The motion passes 5-0. All right. Families, we've got a superintendent report and board member statements followed by our hiring super student recognition. But first, we're going to turn

007it over to our superintendent, Ms. Laura Tenius. Thank you, President Walsh, governing board members, staff here, either in person or joining us online, and community members and family members, and lots of students tonight. Thank you for being here. I am excited. to share a little bit about what's been going on around the district. So first, I just want to do a big shout out to our facilities department. Last Monday was a pretty massive dust storm, if you saw any of that, and thunderstorm, which kept our Kyrene facilities very busy last week, clearing fallen trees, tending to electrical issues, and more. So I just wanted to share a big thank you with these hardworking members of Team Kyrene for working quickly to ensure campuses were safe. for students and staff. Many people probably don't know, but

008we actually have a team of storm chasers that go out right after a big storm like that and assess every campus to make sure that we can get it up and running first thing the next morning. Some things they can't address till a little later, but anything that's in the way to getting school open, they're out there addressing that ASAP. Also excited to share that on August 21st, the Kyrene Business Alliance and the Parent Teacher Organization Roundtable groups had their first joint meeting of the year. In addition to an update on the district from myself and my team, local business leaders and parent volunteers were able to forge new partnerships to support our Kyrene students and our schools. So thank you to both groups for attending, and I look forward to seeing what comes from

009these partnerships. Also excited to celebrate a few of our Kyrene teachers. Over the last few weeks, our community has turned out to celebrate our Kyrene teachers. Jenna Bailey, kindergarten teacher at Wagner, was named Teacher of the Month by the Husband and Wife Law Team, winning $500 and will be featured on Valley Billboards. Kelly Nelson, CCD teacher at Apprende, received the KTAR and Valley Toyota Dealers 2,500 Pay Tribute to a Teacher Award. And Katie Tamayo from Ninos earned a $1,000 grant for new books through the Arizona Diamondbacks Read Your Way to the Ballpark program sponsored by Avnet. So thank you to all of these organizations for recognizing our excellent Kyrene educators. And some upcoming events, we do have our next positive parenting event will be this Thursday here at the district office. Kyrene's ESS team will

010dive into the special education process and the individualized education program, otherwise known as the IEP, and understand who is required to attend the IEP meeting and understanding the roles of each team member, including parents and more. So I invite you to attend our positive parenting series. And also just, I can't believe we're ending, nearing the end of first quarter already. The year goes so quickly. But I just want to remind all of our families that parent-teacher conferences are just around the corner from September 10th through the 12th. Schools will follow their early release schedule on all three of these days, the 10th, 11th, and 12th. And that concludes my superintendent's update. Thank you, Superintendent Dennis. Item 4.2 is board member statements. Board members, does anyone have a statement they'd like to make this evening? Vice

011President Nelson. All right. So I just wanted to acknowledge a lot of the communication that we've received over the last five days now. read them all. And I really appreciate the passion and the commitment that all of you have to your communities. So I just wanted to acknowledge that and recognize that this is a really monumental time for our district that bring a lot of emotions. I remember when... My oldest was in kindergarten. We started at Wagner. We were there for four years. And I just thought I would never find a better place because we had Lisa Gibson who would stand at the drive, like the parent drop-off line. She would weave in all the kids. And it was just such a great community. And it was just, it was home, right? For like four

012years. And then we had the audacity to move over the 10, which it's a real thing, folks. Moving over the 10. Moved over to the 10 to Ahwatukee. And I was so scared because... you know, online, you go to, you know, great schools or, you know, school ratings.com. I don't know what the websites are called, but you, you read about these other schools and I was like, oh, I'm, you know, this is going to be my neighborhood. I need to go and visit. And I was so scared because online wasn't, wasn't like the greatest reviews, but I cannot tell you when I took my anxiety ridden third grader to visit Kalina and we met Kelly Brenner and how she welcomed us. just some prospective parents who needed some reassurance. And what a special community Kalina

013then became for us because we were there and we were involved. And that was kind of the kickoff to me getting involved in Kyrene. And what I have learned over the years... especially through running override campaigns, is Kyrene is special. Every single community of ours is special. We have special teachers at every single school who do their very best to educate all of our children. And each community is just its own little culture. And that's what makes this whole thing so difficult is that we are just, you're out, you do 25, 27 different sites, but we're a Kyrene community. And, you know, As we go through this really difficult process, yes, we're going to pay attention and listen, but I also want us to remember that we're a community and that our teachers are here

014to teach all of our students. And as we talk about these tough decisions, to just remember they're always humans on the other end because our kids are listening about how we talk about our other school communities. And we want to just do so with the most respect and care. Thank you. Thank you, Vice President Nelson. Do any of the board members have statements this evening? Member Davis. Yes, I just also want to hear here to what Member Nelson just said and welcome you all. I'm really glad to see you all. I look forward to hearing from you all, good, bad or indifferent. So thank you for coming. Thank you, Member Davis. I'll echo that sentiment. First off, I also want to welcome our super students. I see you all in the front row. We're very

015excited for you tonight. And I also want to welcome all of our families and staff that are here from all of our different school sites. As you heard earlier, we're so appreciative of hearing. your feedback and hearing from the special community that we're all part of. So thank you for being here. I also want to in particular, thank two school communities, millennial and Paloma who had a chance to welcome me to their campus. I've had a chance to visit five schools so far this year, principal lamp and Dr. Lake at millennial and Paloma respectively. Every single one of our schools, as you said, is just amazing. They each have something different. There's no cookie cutter out there, which is. which is fantastic, right? Every single school is special and unique in its own way, but

016United and how fantastic it is. So I think that, and also parent-teacher conferences, kiddos, parents are going to hear about y'all. So make sure you just say it. No, I always encourage parents to go to our parent-teacher conferences. You learn a lot, parents, that you might not know. It's interesting because I don't know about you, when my kid would go into school, the teacher would come back and give me feedback, and I would have to look, and I'd be like, are you talking about my kid? But no, it's amazing to hear that feedback. So for all the parents out there, I please encourage you, and for our families and our teachers, I appreciate you doing the parent-teacher conferences because this is in addition to and on top of. all of the work that you do

017every day to help our students. So thank you for staying late with our parents and parent-teacher conferences as well. All right. Normally at this point, we would do it. We are still do this. We're going to do our Kyrene Super Students next. Yes, this is the best part of the meeting, guys. It's always the best part of the meeting. So if you are here today, Super Students, it's because you have been nominated by your teacher or your principal because you are one of the very best. out of a school that is one of the very best in all of Arizona. And in particular, what I want to tell you is your teacher or your principal or school leader said that they think you, more than almost anybody else on your whole campus, embodies these virtues

018that you see here on the screen. In the portrait of a Kyrene kid. And what's the portrait of a Kyrene kid? You know, because you look at that and you think, that's a lot of words. What does it mean? It is what we as a district hope that when you leave Kyrene after eighth grade, you have these attributes and skills and talents with you. And you'll see here, it's not talking about math scores. It's talking about adaptable learner, being a self-advocate for yourself, a community contributor. a communicator, a critical thinker, a problem solver, and a collaborator. So if you're here today, students, it's because you're... school sees these virtues in you and wants to celebrate you. And we want to celebrate you too. So parents and families, I hope you are so proud of your

019kiddos here tonight. This is a great recognition. We also have, in addition to the certificate you're going to get from our superintendent, some tokens of congratulations from our sponsors who are very cool and do good stuff. Local business, including KTR Awatuke. You know KTR, it's the Bound House. So good. Jeremiah's Ice. Zeke's Pizza, y'all love Zeke's, as well as the Kyrene Foundation. So students, what's going to happen is I'm going to call or one of our board members here is going to call your name up. When you hear your name, just come on up to the podium. You don't have to make a speech or anything. Come on up to the podium and turn around and look at your families and look at your teachers. Don't look at us because they want to see you.

020And what's going to happen is one of the board members here is actually going to read out loud the nomination that your teacher submitted for you. So after you've had a chance to have your nomination read, just step on off to the side. Don't go back to your seat yet. We'll call up our next super student. And after we've had a chance for all of our super students to be recognized, we'll do a big group picture up front. And then you'll have a chance afterwards to go do pictures in the vestibule. So families, again, congratulations and most important to our super students. Thank you for being you. I'm going to turn it over to Vice President Nelson for our first super student. All right. I am happy to welcome Eliza Canate. She is a third

021grader from Cerritos. Eliza is being recognized as a community contributor. Eliza models excellence in and out of the classroom. She is motivated, hardworking, and consistently goes above and beyond classroom and school expectations. Eliza adds meaningful ideas to our classroom discussions and finds creative ways to problem solve. Her positive attitude and enthusiasm for learning help make our classroom a great place to learn. We are lucky to have Eliza in our class and at Cerritos. Congratulations, Eliza. I am super excited to introduce L.D. Parker, fourth grader from C.I. Wagner. L.D. is being recognized as a community contributor. We would like to nominate L.D. Parker as the Outstanding Fourth Grade Student for her exceptional character and leadership. She consistently demonstrates empathy by showing kindness and understanding toward classmates and is always willing to lend a helping hand. Her

022enthusiasm for learning is contagious as she engages fully in lessons and encourages others to do their best. Elvie is not only responsible, but also a positive role model, leading by example both in and out of the classroom. She actively contributes to group discussions, supports her peers, and creates an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued. Elvie's combination of empathy, curiosity, and leadership truly sets her apart as a remarkable student. I am very, very happy. to introduce Aria Calablasquez, a third grader from Wagner Elementary. Aria is being recognized as a self-advocate. Aria exemplifies the characteristics of leadership, compassion, and responsibility every day at Wagner. She is a strong self-advocate who consistently uses her voice to express her needs and support her peers, demonstrating remarkable communication and problem-solving skills both in and out of the classroom. We need

023you as an advisor to us, don't we? Yes. Aria is always ready to help. Whether she's assisting classmates with their assignments, comforting someone who's hurt, lending a hand to teachers, or even taking the initiative to clean up around our playground to keep our campus safe and welcoming. She comes to school every day with a smile and genuine excitement to be here. And that enthusiasm is contagious. It makes others want to be here too. Her positive attitude and willingness to go above and beyond make our school a better place for everyone. Aria brings joy, kindness, and a strong sense of community to Wagner, helping create a culture where students feel seen, supported, and inspired. She is a shining example of what it means to be a responsible and caring leader. and she is truly deserving of

024this recognition. Congratulations. All right. I have the pleasure of introducing Emily Hoyt, fifth grade from Cerrito. Emily is being recognized as a community contributor. Emily approaches every task with determination, curiosity, and a positive attitude. She is an adaptable learner who eagerly takes on challenges and demonstrates strong problem solving skills. Emily communicates her ideas, clearly collaborates respectfully with her peers and advocates for herself with confidence. She makes meaningful contributions to our classroom community each day through her kindness, effort and leadership. Emily Hoyt. Congratulations to all of our super students. At this time, board, come on down for a picture. If you are a school leader at Wagner or Cerritos, come on up. If you are a teacher at Wagner and Cerritos, come on up. If you are a staff member at Wagner and Cerritos, come on

025up. We're going to do a group picture up here. Congratulations again to our super students. Super student families, our board meetings are always open to the public, but we know it's a school night, so if you guys want to head out and take more pictures in the vestibule, you're welcome to it. At this time, we're going to take a quick recess. Anybody that's in the excess seating area upstairs might have an opportunity to come on down, so we'll let you know. We're going to take a quick five-minute recess. We'll rejoin in about five minutes. All right, we are back. We are back. We are reconvening our regular meeting at 6.32 p.m. We've had a chance to bring over everyone from when I run most people from our overflow room or down here, folks that are

026in the overflow room. I'll just let you know if you are speaking during the call to the public. I want to give you all a heads up so you have a chance to get down here. We want to make sure everybody has an opportunity to participate. All right. Next item on the agenda under the modified agenda is item nine point one. This is board committee reports, as we talked about earlier. There's no action or discussion being made on anything relating to long-range planning, but we do have an opportunity for the committee to report out on what's happened since our last board meeting. So I'll turn it over to Vice President Nelson. All right. So this is my final committee update on this. The Long-Range Planning Committee has been meeting since February. Again, they're about, I

027think at the end, we ended about with 54 participants. I know that the information about who was on the committee is listed in there. But one thing I did want to call out is that just because someone was listed as one thing doesn't mean they also didn't occupy like another stakeholder group. We had several people who were Kyrene educators, but also parents who had students going to different schools. So it was really a nice. range of community representation. This was our final presentation, as everybody is, most people are aware of, where after going through what our strategic levers were to create better resource schools, just as a reminder, the first two were aligning staff with enrollment and enhancing administration and operational efficiencies, which happens on an annual basis with such wonderful ease, thanks to Mr.

028Herman and his work. But those two levers that we've been pulling over and over and over again, we needed to move to levers three and four. So the work of this committee was really around prioritizing programs and school supports and then a focus on school configuration facilities. optimization. And back, I believe it was in our April meeting, is when the committee, I'm looking at Member Satri, who's also on that committee with me, I believe it was back in the April meeting when the committee had decided after relearning about the budget to take a regional approach looking at all of the schools in the district for the... school configuration or facilities optimization point of view. And so that kind of came to a head this past week where our demographer, who's worked with the district for

029over, gosh, 10 years, over 30 years, 30 years, came and presented the committee with the recommendations that they had given him. They supplied the parameters based on a regional model. They wanted to make sure that we were going to be minimizing boundary changes. and making sure that the proximity and presence of schools was equitable throughout the district. So there was quite a bit of... It's quite a puzzle. So he came and presented those. And then there was quite a bit of robust discussion among the tables. Member Satri and I aren't voting members of the committee. We're just board representatives. So I didn't stay at my table for their discussion. I felt it was really important that they do that work on their own. But yeah, everybody was very, very thoughtful. It was. You know, the

030last meeting, people were taking it very seriously. And I think at the end, when they came to their recommendations, it was a pretty emotional room. I mean, we had a lot of leaders who were school leaders who, you know, knew that their school communities would be impacted by the choices that they're bringing before this committee. And so it was pretty emotional. But, you know, they took their job very seriously. And so they will be coming to. us with their formal presentation, giving a little bit more clarity into their decision-making processes and why the committee came to consensus around the two models that were presented to them. So we'll see that when we reconvene on the 16th. Thank you, Vice President Nelson. Member Sator, anything to add? Very good. All right. So board, as Vice President

031Nelson mentioned, we'll have a presentation and opportunity for discussion and questions with committee members at our next board meeting. Item 6.1 is request to speak to governing board. As per our board policy 1302, our Kyrene Governing Board does invite the viewpoint of citizens throughout the district. In-person members of the community can address the governing board by filling out a blue card. Looks like this. Available at the sign-in table. You can also submit public comment electronically in the link that is sent out with each meeting notification. All of those electronic public comments are sent to the board. We get them in their entirety. We read them all. And they are formally put into the minutes of the meeting as if they were given here in person. For our in-person public comments, because we do want everybody

032to have an opportunity to speak, we have time limits based on the number of in-person public comments that are here. If we've got one to 15 speakers, each person will be given three minutes to address the board. If we have 16 to 30 in-person speakers, two minutes. And if we have 31 or more in-person speakers, each person will have one minute. Tonight, we have 29 in-person public comments. That means each person is going to have two minutes to address the board. There's going to be a timer on the screen here on the right and on the left. It looks just like that. And it's going to count down from two. It'll turn red. When your time is up because we have so many people here we do ask that you please respect the timer So

033when your time is up, please conclude your statement I will ask you just state your name for the record and the board cannot respond in this meeting to anything That's not on our agenda But we can and will listen and ask the district to follow up and if you're speaking on an item that might be on and a future agenda item like Long-range planning committee that is something that the board can speak on in our next meeting So I'm going to be reading out each of our public comment speakers. I'm going to call who's up and then also who's on deck. So if you are upstairs in our overflow room and you hear that you are up next, that's a good time to come on down into the boardroom. That way you're ready here when

034you are up your turn. So our first person here for in-person public comment is Kareen Inouye, who is a current Kyrene parent and a community member who lives in the district. She will be followed by Kelsey Dene. Great. Hey, thanks. Thanks for being agile and flexible and adjusting your schedule to accommodate all of us here today. I'm going to just make a few remarks and it's going to be in support of East Option A. So what I'm going to talk about is the rubrics that we looked at must protect students' equity and long-term stability, not just closing buildings. Option B, it looks like higher savings on paper, but new data shows that those savings vanish even if 150 to 200 students leave for Chandler, Tempe. or charters. Those families will leave fastest if we destabilize

035our Blue Ribbon and A-plus anchors in the East, where some schools are already at 59% out of district students bringing in full revenue. Option A still consolidates underused schools, but it protects these enrollment drivers, keeping operating revenue stable, preserving equity and access, and allowing phased implementation. Capital savings are identical either way, but only Option A keeps families in Kyrene. If we close our anchors, we accelerate the very decline we're trying to stop. If we protect them, we can stabilize and rebuild. I yield my time. Thank you, Ms. Inouye. Our next speaker is Kelsey Dene, who is a current Kyrene parent and community member who lives in the district. She'll be followed by Nicole Buckman. Hello. Good evening, Kyrene Governing Board members, Superintendent Tenias, staff, and dedicated teachers, staff of the Kyrene community. Like you said,

036Trina. I'm here today as a Mariposa parent. I have a third grader, and I'm also here as a Mariposa PTO co-president. And I want to thank the Long Range Committee for their dedicated service over the past six months. I know, like we've had to say, this is making the best of the worst options. So what I have talked about with a group of dedicated parents and families is looking at the options for East Kyrene and how option A really does meet the guiding principles, the rubric, and the goals that you all have for keeping Kyrene strong and retaining our A-plus schools of excellence, retaining our students and kids in Kyrene, and looking to the future. So we look forward to engaging in this dialogue. We all have been focused on this the past couple days,

037and we really do look forward to those public hearings and having that discussion about what's the best in the future of Kyrene. Thank you again. I've leo'd my time. Thank you, Ms. Denae. Our next speaker is Nicole Buckman, who is a current Kyrene parent and community member. She will be followed by Katie Burkell. Hi. Good evening. Thank you to the Long Range Planning Committee for your dedication and also to the school board for serving tirelessly through all these difficult decisions. And thank you to Vice President Nelson and Member Davis for sharing their stories earlier tonight as well. As a proud Mariposa parent and Warner Ranch homeowner, I can say our booth here five years ago was largely for Mariposa's A-plus ratings and computer science focus. If Mariposa is no longer an option, my family and

038many others would have no choice but to seek programs outside Kyrene that meet those same high standards that Mariposa has set for us. Not having an A-plus school available to us, the East Option B KMS bracket will accelerate enrollment attrition, leading to reduced district funding. Instead, Mariposa should be celebrated and replicated as a model of excellence. Protecting our A-plus schools by voting for East Option A is the strongest way to retain our families, strengthen our foundation, and ensure long-term success as a district. We thank you for your time tonight and look forward to continuing this important conversation. Our next speaker is Katie Burkell. She'll be followed by Veronica Foner. Thank you all so much for your time, for letting me speak here tonight. I'm a little emotional, so I might get choked up. But I

039know you all have an impossible decision ahead of you. I'm here speaking as a public school graduate myself, a researcher on child development, and a Mariposa parent for 15 years. My oldest just started college at ASU, and my youngest just started first grade. So we move. into Warner Ranch because of Mariposa. We walk to school. Our neighbors have become some of our best friends and extended family for my little one. And I can say for a fact that both as a parent and as a researcher that strong school communities are the most important aspect of. of a child's well-being and like the most one of the most important protective factors oh my gosh you know I speak for a living right but this is really hard and personal so um and and given that I

040would just um really implore you all to consider um you know, other options that really think more towards the future of Kyrene. And, you know, thinking about, you know, the option A for East is like the option that closes the fewest A-plus schools and really the one that will stem the exodus of parents out of, you know, the best school district in the state, right? So thank you so much for your time. for listening and I really hope to continue the dialogue and hope that you consider east optioning. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Burkell. Our next speaker is Veronica Foner, who is a current Kyrene parent and current Kyrene employee. Ms. Foner will be followed by Samantha Smith. Hello, thank you to the board and the committee, the long-term committee. My name is

041Veronica Foner and I am a parent at Kyrene's Rational Academy and have been a part of that family for the last 14 years, having a daughter graduating from there and now a third grader. I'm here to be the voice for some of our parents who can't be here, but we would like to have our voice on the Choice program for Traditional Academy. The Traditional Academy program offers structure, rigorous learning, uniform dress code, and consistency that many families intentionally chose because it fits our children's learning needs. For some students, this is where they've built their confidence, their discipline, and love for learning. Removing this program doesn't just close a building, it disrupts the very foundation that these students rely on for success. Ms. Tanyas gave a guideline of what a choice school looks like, and KTA

042has that. We have a specific curriculum. It's a whole school focus. Our teachers are given specific training to be teachers at KTA. With the closures, families are left asking what happens now. Is there a plan to continue the traditional program? Many families will feel forced to leave the district. They will seek Chandler Traditional Academy or charter schools. to maintain the educational model they choose for this reason. This isn't just inconvenient, it's heartbreaking for families and we want to remain loyal to the district. Losing these families isn't just a loss for the students, it's a loss for our school community. Every student who will lose impacts enrollment funding and trust in our system. Keeping the program alive by moving it to another campus. integrating it with an existing school or keeping K-2A open sends a powerful

043message to the district that it, to the families of the district that it values choice, diversity, and learning and the voices of parents. I'm asking you to consider every possibility to keep the traditional choice going. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Foner. Our next speaker is Samantha Smith, who is a current Kyrene parent. She'll be followed by Melissa Spate. Hello, thank you for having us all tonight. Not that you really had a choice, I guess. My name is Samantha Smith and I am here representing Kyrene Traditional Academy. I'm too nervous to talk at this point too. And our main ask from our community is that you hear from the traditional model and how it works so you can have a better understanding of it. We felt that this study session on choice schools did not represent.

044the traditional model, so you didn't get to hear what we are all about. So we're asking that you take the time to learn what our model is before you consider stuff in December. Short and sweet. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Smith. Our next speaker is Melissa Spate, who's a current Kyrene parent, employee, and community member. She'll be followed by Natasha Bucky. Hi. Thank you, board members and long-term planning committee. My name is Melissa Spate. I am a Kyrene parent, a Mariposa parent of two kiddos and an incoming Mariposa student. And I'm also a Kyrene employee. I'm a Kyrene wife and we love Kyrene. So thank you for that. But we and we love Kyrene so much. In fact, that we moved from Chandler to Warner Ranch to be part of the Mariposa community because its

045reputation really precedes itself. It is one of only 10 Arizona schools. to receive an A-plus rating five consecutive terms. And we just need to state the obvious that families from A-plus schools are not going to move to a lower-performing school. They're going to leave, and they're going to become, they're going to join the charter that Mariposa eventually becomes. And so I urge you to consider East Option A for data-driven results and to retain and attract students just as Mariposa did for our family. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you, Ms. Spade. Our next speaker is Natasha Bucky, who is a current Kyrene parent and community member. She'll be followed by Catherine Peters. Hi, thank you. I'm super nervous, but this is super important. So I'm just going to read this off. It's a

046bit of a story. So hello, everyone. Thank you for allowing us to speak. My name is Natasha, and almost eight years ago, my husband and I made the decision to move our family into the Warner Ranch neighborhood. At the time, our children were very young and we were looking for a place to put down roots. We were immediately drawn to the community, but what truly solidified our decision was realizing that the elementary school was right here inside the neighborhood. We dove into our research on the Carbine School District and the school itself. We were thrilled to discover it was a science and technology school, an area of study that is so vital in today's world. We also learned it was an A-plus school, a distinction the principal, Mr. Fogutter, was so proud to share with

047us during our tour. His pride was infectious, and it's something that has stayed with us. Over the last eight years, our children, now 11 and 7, have thrived here. We've built incredible relationships with teachers, parents, and principals. This community isn't just a place to live. It's a true village where we all take care of one another. We are here today because we strongly believe that our schools in East Option A must remain open. They are the heart of this village and are essential. for serving our neighborhood, children, and all of the kids who are bused in from other districts. Let's keep working together to support our incredible schools and students who call them home. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you, Ms. Bucky. Our next speaker is Catherine Peters, who's a current Kyrene

048parent. She'll be followed by Sandy Theobald. Good evening, and thank you for having us. And thank you, parents, for being here to support our children in this crazy time. I am not only a Kyrene mother, but also a Kyrene student as well. I went to Kyrene Del Ninos when I was in third grade. We had moved out here from the West Valley, and my mother made the decision to move us out here to Tempe and start my... tradition at Kyrene School District. My husband was actually the first class to open Kyrene Down Millennial and actually that's why I'm here. My daughter is a current. kindergarten student at Carving Down Millennial and actually started at preschool last year as well. And just in the short year and a half, not even year and a half that

049she's been there, she knows the staff, the staff knows her by name, everybody in the office, all of the, anybody from the cafeteria workers to anybody that she comes across and she knows them by their name as well. I don't know if you have many people here tonight representing Millennial. But me and another parent are here, and it's very heartbreaking to know that we would have to remove our children from that school and find a new school. If this is a decision that you guys do plan to make, the only thing that we can ask is just to make a little bit more time. I know the email came out today that the plan would be to start implementing the gifted program there next year, closing the school for the year before starting it the

050following year. So we're just asking for a little bit more time if that does happen. please keep that school open as a traditional elementary school for our students as they have already gotten used to the school itself and also all of the teachers and staff that are there. So again, please just hear us out and maybe we can think of alternative recommendations to save our school and our district. And our family, Kyrene, is not just a school, it's a tradition and we want to keep the tradition alive for years to come. Thank you. Our next speaker is Ms. Sandy Theobald, who is a current Kyrene employee. She'll be followed by Laura Green Schoenfeld. Thank you. My name is Sandy Theobald. I am one of only two secretaries that have served at Kyrene del Sereno, now

051Kyrene Traditional Academy, since it opened in 1987. Thank you, Kyrene Board and administration, for this opportunity to talk. First, I want to say that I understand school closures are going to have to happen. I've been watching budgets get tighter and tighter over the last 24 years in my position, and it's getting harder and harder to provide an education with the budgets that we are provided. Without the help of outside funds like tax credit and PTO, we would be in even bigger trouble. I would like to also thank the Long Range Planning Committee for all their hard work. I know they spent a lot of time, and I know it was a difficult decision. I would like to take this opportunity to provide the board with some historical information about KTA that will hopefully at least

052make you reconsider closing a choice school. During 2011-2012 school year, it was brought to the board that Kyrene should offer a choice school in the form of a traditional academy. The reasons? The community wants it. We're losing kids to other districts and charters because we don't offer it, and we need to try and capture some of those families back. These are the very same reasons being given for the gifted academy that is now being recommended for current administration, which I agree is a great addition if that's what our communities want. KTA began one year later, 2012-2013. In 2017, the superintendent moved to have KTA change to a K-8 school, and we began the process of adding a grade each year. This brings us to today. Turns out bringing a choice school to the traditional model,

053a choice school traditional model to Kyrene worked. I'm not a demographer and I'm certainly not a statistician, but I do know my school and I would like to review some numbers with you. Yesterday, I looked at these numbers. We have 474 students, not counting eighth grade. Of those students, 51 of them are open enrollment from within Kyrene. 128 of them are open enrollment from outside of Kyrene. Thank you, Ms. Theobald. Two minutes is up, but if you could, we'd appreciate it if you could email your statement to the board as well. Thank you. Oh, you go ahead. No, I also want to let you know who's on deck. So our next speaker is Laura Green Schoenfeld, who's our current Kyrene parent. She'll be followed by Shanna Easterbrook. Please. Yes. Thank you very much. I appreciate

054the opportunity to make a comment today and ask the board to consider keeping that East Kyrene option A on the table. I also, I can appreciate all the hard work that has gone into this and the position that I do not envy, which is having to make an ultimate decision on what schools close. So I just want to say I appreciate this. It's not even easy to stand up here to say, please keep mine open and close others. I don't even like that very much, but. I am wanting to show support for Mariposa today. It does have a long tradition of being an A-plus school, five consecutive times. I believe you've heard that today. And it sounded like there was an option on the table to bring people into this wonderful school with academic excellence

055and to this wonderful community that I have enjoyed as a Warner Ranch homeowner, as a mother of two kids. one that is now in high school, but a fourth grader who's at Mariposa. I have enjoyed firsthand how much this school has benefited my family, my life, and this community. So if there's an opportunity on the board to keep it open, to embrace more students and more families into this community, then I just ask that we reconsider that. I think it's a wonderful... component of what is already a wonderful district and was a major factor in us deciding to live in South Tempe. So I understand what we have here. I understand the very difficult decision. I just really implore us to make the decision to keep the schools that are in robustly, where the students

056are living open and where the academic excellence and strong leadership has been able to provide wonderful opportunities. So thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Green-Schonfeld. Our next speaker is Shana Estabrook, who is a current Kyrene parent and committee member. She'll be followed by Kaitlyn Murphy. Good evening. Thank you, board and committee members. My name is Shana Estabrook. I'm a proud parent of two beautiful girls who go to the Kyrene School District, Mariposa as well as Pueblo. I'm a homeowner in Kyrene and been in Tempe for over 20-plus years. And this is why we chose to live in the district was because of Mariposa. And we're a huge advocate for them. I also want to tell you about how we would be appreciative of East Option A because it aligns with our guiding principles and

057meets the goals of the district for the future of Kyrene. Option East A means less A plus rating schools being closed versus Option B. East Option A also means higher attendance rate versus Option B. East Option A, more likely to have a better chance on being able to keep more students in Kyrene. Thank you all for listening, and I hope you reconsider and choose East Option A for Mariposa and the Kyrene School District. Thank you, Ms. Estabrook. Our next speaker is Caitlin Murphy, who is a current Kyrene parent. She'll be followed by Christy Wolford. Good evening, board members. Thank you for your time. Occumel serves nearly 900 students and is the heart of this community. We have an A rating in academics and programs that earn state and national recognition. Our dual language program, led

058by the incredible Mr. Jones, a CCD program, which is the only one offered on the west side of the 10, a state-recognized band, a thriving theater program, a STEM school, and most importantly, a diverse community. It's not just a place to learn, it's where kids feel safe, supported, and seen. These opportunities build confidence, creativity, and leadership. Closing this school would dismantle more than academics. It'd break apart friendships, take away trusted teachers who truly care about these kids, and eliminate programs that keep kids engaged. Families will leave. They will have to. They will find other options. Our neighborhoods, which are filled with families who moved here for specific schools, will suffer. This school is more than just a middle school. It's the center of a strong, connected community. I want Kyrene to thrive. I want Kyrene

059to grow. I don't see how closing the middle school at the highest enrollment and accolades would stand up to Kyrene commitment of excellence. Also, I agree with what Vice President Nelson said. We are all a community and in this together. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Ms. Murphy. Our next speaker is Christy Wolford. She'll be followed by Ashton Fouts. Guys, I would like to implore you to please reconsider the proposed closing of Kyrene Ocumal. We just heard from Caitlin Murphy. This is the highest performing. Let's just talk about facts. This is the highest enrolled middle school on the west side of the 10. It is also the highest performing middle school on the west side of the 10. Highest in academics, highest in athletics, highest in band, musical theater. Why take away these impressive.

060departments. Why disrupt something that is so successful? It just doesn't make any sense. Alkalades and state championships don't seem to make any sense anywhere else. You can't move these programs elsewhere. Make it make sense. I just want to scream that from the top of the roof. You can't just look at numbers from a demographer who has a viewpoint from 30,000 feet onto a flat map that doesn't show the stories. Here are the stories. Here are the stories. Akimaw, we just heard about this. The only middle school on the west side of the 10 with a program for developmentally challenged students. The only one on the west side. If you uproot those students from their comfort zone, that would be unthinkable and heartless. We cannot afford that. Akimaw is also the only middle school on the

061west side with direct access to Desert Vista High School. We have our gifted kids, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, walking seamlessly over to Desert Vista for their education. advanced academics for their gifted programs. You move that to another middle school on the west side, you're going to convince parents to suddenly uproot their workday and drive their kids to Desert Vista? Not happening. Let's also talk about dual language. It was just a revamped program just this year by Brian Jones, who came from GCU to give an amazing... commitment to our students. This is the Lagos Streamline. You've already said you may save Lagos. This Streamline goes into Akimol. Don't upset those parents again. They need the new program at Akimol. So in your own words, you have stated that the goal of Kyrene is to

062ensure well-resourced schools provide a high level of excellence for students, staff, and families. Don't lose sight of this mission. Akimol is the blueprint for what Kyrene stands for. Undeniable success story that deserves to be celebrated, not discarded. Keep Akimol. Excuse me. Please, please. Thank you. Our next speaker will be Ashton Fouts, who's indicated she's a current Kyrene parent and community member who lives in the district. She'll be followed by Eva Eloya. Good evening. So I'll start off by saying I don't love public speaking, but I do love Marada. Murata has been a part of my family since 1997 and my husband's family since 1993. When we had our son, I dreamed of him going to the same school where we all made such wonderful memories. Kyle and I worked hard to move back into this

063neighborhood so that dream could come true. We even live right across the street. So to hear that this school could be taken away, it keeps me up at night. Murata has given my family so much. This is my son, even though he didn't walk up with me, Kaiser. And he is autistic. When he started here, he was nearly nonverbal. But because of the support of Murata's teachers and students, he is now a confident, happy, and very verbal little boy. He knows Murata is a safe place, and if he ever needed help, it's right across the street. Murata has helped more than just Kaiser. It was teachers who helped diagnose my sister's reading disability and my husband's speech impediment. And it was their care that helped my sister Bailey become the thriving, hardworking mom she is

064today. The school changes lives. Murata is more than just a school. It's a family, a lifeline, a safe haven. Taking it away would... would take more than a building. It would take away progress, security, and hope for children like my son. I know change is sometimes necessary, but closing Murata would be a loss that can never be replaced for families like mine. Murata isn't just where we send our children, it's where we trust our children will be loved, supported, and given the tools to thrive. Please, for our children, for our community, and for generations still to come, keep Murano open. Thank you, Ms. Fouts. Our next speaker is a Kyrene student. I'm happy to have her here at the podium. Ms. Eva, I'm trying to read your handwriting, so if I pronounce your name wrong,

065please correct me. Aloia? Ayala. Ayala. Please, go ahead, Ms. Good evening. My name is Eva Lorena Ayala, and I am an eighth grader from Akima Middle School, and I'm speaking for all the students and staff at Akima. I just wanted to let you know that I am upset that my school is on the program to potentially close. I want you to know that when you make decisions, please consider our stories, not just the numbers. I feel safe at this school. This school doesn't just have amazing opportunities, but also has been around for a long time and has a lot of tradition. Some of our teachers and staff have been here since the school opened. I'm worried about them and for them. I come from... out of the district every day because of what Alkmaar has

066to offer. A dual language program and it's electives like agriculture and STEM, including our great sports, music and band, as well as advanced placement for high school. I'm also here presenting my brother who is in sixth grade. of this school and deserves the same experience of culture and education. I also would like to say that I'm very lucky, I'm a very lucky student. I'm proud Rattler to come here and to have more opportunities to learn and grow. Please protect us as students and my teachers. Option A and option B does not work for us. Thank you. Thank you, Eva. You did a very good job speaking. Our next speaker is Cassandra Mantella. She'll be followed by Rob Bryant. Hi, I'm Cassandra Mantella, and this is my daughter Eva, 7th grader at Akyemal Middle School. And

067I'm so grateful for this opportunity to speak to you all, and you all seem very sweet. So it kind of breaks my heart to be here to talk to you guys. I just wanted to mention some things that might not have been considered in reference to Aki Mall. Some of that is just safety concerns. The Aki Mall is centrally located and closest to the police substation located near Pecos Park. We also are located near Desert Vista, which has police presence as well. And then Aki Mall 2 has a dual language. program. And Eva has a bunch of friends who are thinking of leaving the district because of where they're located, that there's tons of kids coming in every single day, waking up really early from Maricopa, from Levine, and they're already traveling in so far

068that they can't commute even further. Occamall is located right off the freeway. I'm also concerned about sports. So Eva here made the volleyball team. There was over 100 kids who tried out. Thank you. And I coached some of the kids that tried out priorly. And they were great players who couldn't make the team because it's over 100 girls trying out. Only 24 make it. What happens? when she gets moved to Centennial or, or yeah, Altadena and there's 200 kids trying out for just 24 spots. Um, I'm also concerned about some of the staff leaving that some of her favorite teachers have been at the school for 20 plus years and might choose to leave the district or retire early. So, um, the impacts a lot of people and I'd love to see Akimel stay open.

069Thank you. Our next speaker is Rob Bryant, who's a current Kyrene parent and community member who lives in the district. He'll be followed by Rene Angelero. Good evening, council members. I appreciate the time to speak. You know, very emotional. Everybody's here to defend their schools and what they want to see. My wife and I are both business owners, and so I kind of want to put a business perspective on what you guys have. You have a ton of assets available. Beautiful schools, beautiful facilities, awesome teachers and staff. That's really hard to build. So let's not let that decline. So if you decline, you die, right? So let's go out and let's find new programs. Let's bring some CTE programs in. Let's find some funding from businesses. And let's find a way to just increase enrollment.

070We know a lot of people who are coming from outside the district who enjoy these schools. They're safe. And they're great educations. We got a lot of extra programs. We got great sports. And so that's what we would like to bring to the table for you guys. There's 800 students at Occamaw. That's 800 families that are impacted and the teachers. We want to make sure that there's a visual. And so I got some handouts for you guys. And thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bryant. Our next speaker is Renee Angelo, who's a current Kyrene parent. She'll be followed by Matthew Sparks. Hi, good evening, members of the board and superintendent. Hello. Thank you so much for making time for us today. I apologize for not wearing finer attire. It is very hot outside. My name is

071Renee Anguillero, and I'm here tonight not only as a parent, but as a community member deeply invested in the future of Kyrene schools. Y'all, I love Kyrene schools so much. We've been in other schools before coming to Kyrene. And I mean, hands down, as you've said, the community is. Chef's kiss, the best, the best, top notch. And a shout out to Principal Anderson over there, who has been a huge support to our family. I have spent my entire career in education, beginning as a teacher and now working at ASU. Let's go, Sun Devils. And I understand that the fiscal constraints can force hard, hard decisions and heartbreaking decisions. But as parents, we seek to be partners in making those decisions. And a lot of us right now are feeling a little bit more like bystanders,

072which, you know, I know that there's been a lot of work put in, but we want to help. I live on the border of Chandler and Mesa school districts. Even with strong options nearby, I chose Kyrene and specifically Kyrene de la Morada because it isn't just a school, but a community where academics and leadership are intentionally woven together. That choice speaks volumes about the strength of this district. Our family chose Murata for its strong sense of community. War travels quickly when a school is this exceptional. And beyond that, Kyrene, Cadela Murata, an A-plus school of excellence, ranking in the top 27.5% of elementary schools statewide. It's also, of course, recognized by Franklin Covey as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School, a proven model to strengthen both academic outcomes and leadership skills. Closing a school like

073Murata would risk dismantling a proven model of excellence, a school that attracts families even when other district options exist. And I just, I know that's hard to figure out, like, what else can we do, right? Because so much has been done. But I just urge that you all pause and reconsider the current plan for school closures, allow more parents to take an active role in collaborative wrestling with some of the financial and structural challenges. And thank you so much for your time. Thank you, Ms. Anguillera. Our next speaker is Mr. Matthew Sparks, who is a current Kyrene parent. He'll be followed by Belinda Russell. Hey, thank you all so much. The Kyrene District unfairly pushed the closed Kyrene Day La Colina. The Long-Term Planning Committee was never given the opportunity to consider keeping the school

074open, as all options demanded Colina's closure. This process directly contradicts the District's first promise. By removing alternatives, the districts prevented the community's voice from being heard. Even the demographer stated, I'm not a decision maker. Yet with the districts backing their recommendation ultimately determined the outcome. This is not a community decision-making process. The proposed closure of Kalina also fails to align with the district's own facility goals of selling, leasing, or repurposing campuses. The decision disregards the considerations such as advancing equity, advancing the shared facilities, and planning responsibility of district assets. The process silenced community input, contradicted guiding principles, and dismissed the district's own commitments. When presented with the long-term planning commitments results, I respectfully urge the board to uphold the standards at reception and keep Kalina open. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Sparks. Our next speaker

075is Belinda Russell, who's a current Kyrene parent. She'll be followed by Kevin Bird. Hello, good evening, President Walsh, Vice President Nelson, and members of the Governing Board. My name is Belinda Russell, and I have two children, a third grader and a first grader at Kyrene De La Mirada. And I want to speak about the unique value Mirada provides through its gifted program within a diverse school environment. Research shows that gifted students thrive when they are both challenged academically and engage socially with peers of all abilities and backgrounds. At Murata, gifted learners benefit from rigorous instruction while also developing empathy, leadership, and collaboration skills alongside classmates with different strengths and needs. Moving these students into a segregated gifted academy may accelerate academics, but it comes at a cost. Isolation, loss of diversity, and reduced opportunities to

076build the real-world skills that come from learning in inclusive environments. Murata's model offers the best of both worlds, academic excellence and social emotional growth. To dismantle this would be to a disservice not only to our gifted students, but to every child who benefits from a classroom where diversity fuels learning. The concept that the guiding point for the Long Range Planning Committee to be geographically equitable creates an insurmountable inequity to our learners. Please keep Barada open so all students, gifted and otherwise, can continue to thrive together. Thank you. I yield my time. Thank you, Ms. Russell. Our next speaker is Kevin Bird, who's a current Kyrene parent and community member who lives in the district. He'll be followed by Carly Fleege. All right. So I want to thank the school board and also the long-term planning

077committee. I know that this was a lot of work, and I appreciate the time and effort that they put into it. I also want to recognize that we are facing challenges as a district that are complex, and they're not easy decisions. As I've sat there, I've watched some of you tear up as people talk about their experience at Kyrene, which is great. It's a great problem to have. I apologize. So I was an educator for five years. I taught first, third, and fifth grade. My dad served on the school board for my local school district growing up in Plano, Texas for over 20 years. And so I recognize the difficulty that you guys are in today, knowing that not everybody's going to be happy. I recognize that. I am here to speak in support of

078East Option A. Currently, I have three kids at Mariposa and one in Pueblo. My wife and I moved to this community because of the schools. As has been mentioned, Mariposa is an A-plus school five times over, only one of ten to achieve that within the state. The focus on science and technology at this school is not easily duplicated. This is something that many people who flood to charter schools are often looking for. Mariposa is the center of the community with a large portion of students that are local to the neighborhood where kids can be seen walking and riding their bikes. Mariposa is currently the highest occupancy of all schools in Kyrene for Kyrene School District at 75%, which is in the range targeted by the school's outline goals. In this model as well, KTA, a

079traditional school at Kyrene District, would also be lost. Chandler Traditional waits in the wings just two miles down the road to take those children who opt for that educational option. My ask is to consider not just the numbers, the location, but the things that allow us to build a strong community and be competitive in the district. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Byrd. Our next speaker is Ms. Carly Fleeg, who's a current hiring parent. She'll be followed by Russell Parker. Good evening. For the record, my name is Carly Fleeg. I'm here today to give my son a voice in a decision that will deeply impact him. The proposed recommendation to close Kyrene De La Mirada Elementary School. Liam is a second grader in Mrs. Williams' self-contained gifted class at Mirada. Mirada is his community, it's his

080safe place, and he has thrived there for two plus years. It breaks my heart to think that he will have to start over in the middle of his formative elementary school years. Murata is also a highly desirable school with 60% of its students coming from outside of Murata's boundaries, 20% of that from outside of the district. As an A-plus school that draws many students from outside of its boundaries, closing Murata may be short-sighted and very likely to lead to more attrition in the district. I implore this board to view this decision through a more nuanced lens that includes not just a regional view, but one that looks at performance and desirability within and outside of the district. I think you will find closing Murata is the wrong decision. I can tell you we will not

081be comfortable enrolling at the proposed new homeschool or gifted academy. And as schools east of the 10 grow with displaced students beyond the district's own ideal capacity level, I don't know if we can stay in the district. I also want to say why I chose Murata above all other schools in the district and above the nine schools I took the time to tour before seeking early entrance in the Kyrene district. In 2017, I lost my little sister to a mental health condition. In 2018, Liam was born and I became a sisterless mother. As you can imagine, losing someone to a mental health condition shifted the things I value in an education. The school violence epidemic in this country also deeply influenced what I value in a school. Murata's Leader in Me program teaches children important

082life skills that I've already seen Liam demonstrate. Most importantly, it teaches children to lead with empathy, to work together, and to advocate for themselves and others. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Fleeg. Our next speaker is Mr. Russell Parker, a current Kyrene parent. He'll be followed by Kerry House. Hello and thank you everybody for being here and listening to what everybody has to say. And thank you everybody who's coming here to speak their minds. I grew up in Mason in the 90s and I was very well aware of Kyrene being one of the gemstones of Arizona education. That's part of the reason why my wife and I decided to move into this district for our kids to get the great growth. benefits of being in a A-plus school environment and all the wonderful things that were

083there. We moved into Murata, and we had our first child start there several years ago. We didn't know this, just how much of a home it would become for us when our twins, who were two years behind their older sister, got to know the principal, Ms. Anderson, and completely enveloped them in long before they even began there. They just started kindergarten there this year, and they've been looking forward to this for the past two years. They're excited, and they're happy to be there. I know these are difficult decisions that we all have to make, and I know that decisions do have to be made. But I do implore you, with option A, the number of A-plus schools are good attractors, but also consider this, that... The merging of schools are going to put a lot

084of difficulties on us all. And having schools that are already there at that performing at that A plus level gives them other things to focus on because they're already there. That ability that's already ingrained in those schools will give us just that much of a leg up to help all the new students accommodate in and be welcomed in, as well as enter into a performance school that's not already trying to reach for those high. high peaks that Murata and several of the other schools in option A have achieved. Thank you, everybody, and I hope the best with your decisions. Thank you, Mr. Parker. Our next speaker is Ms. Carrie Hawes, who's a current Kyrene parent. She'll be followed by Jenna Bassett. Hello, my name is Dr. Keri Haas. I'm a neuropsychologist, a Kyrene community member,

085and I'm also a proud parent to two wonderful kids at Murata. They're in kinder and second. And I'm really here to talk to you, to urge to you to not close four district schools that are A-plus excellent rated schools. Under the current right-siding, the Plan B option, Kalina, Mariposa, KTA, and Murata, that's 36% of Kyrene's highest-performing schools would be eliminated. That means our district would go from 12 A-plus schools to only 8. This would leave the district with only 54% ranked schools. And at a time where it is extremely competitive from a charter standpoint, from another district open enrollment standpoint, this does not bode well for a long endurance of this district. The current plan appears to have put a demographer first approach, which assumes all schools are equal. That's not. A-plus schools represent decades

086of culture, achievement, and commitment by educators and families. Excellence cannot be simply dismantled and redone somewhere else. The district proudly showcases its points of pride, yet this plan undermines those very achievements. Closing A-plus schools weakens Kyrene's reputation, erodes parent confidence, and risks driving families to surrounding districts and charter schools. If the goal is truly preserve educational excellence, then the starting principle must be all A-plus schools remain open. Imagine the point of pride of 84% of Kyrene schools, elementary and K-8 are ranked. That's how you sell this district. Thank you, Ms. Hawes. Our next speaker is Ms. Jenna Bassett, who's a current Kyrene parent and community member. She'll be followed by Jason Ferrante. Thank you, Kyrene Board. I really didn't plan to speak tonight, but it's really important. My son William is here with me. I'm

087a community member and a mother to a former middle schooler and an elementary schooler at Pueblo and Murata, respectively. I could take my time to talk about how meaningful our experience has been at these schools, about how my children have thrived and found their voices, about how the community has held us up and embraced us. But I would rather take my time to encourage you to think about what Kyrene means and what we stand for. Think about the Kyrene promise and think about what makes a Kyrene kid. And really examine if the speed at which we've made decisions on who to cut is aligned with those values. I do not doubt changes need to be made and I do not doubt that you will make the right choices. But I don't think that we currently

088have enough information. to make them. And so that is my plea. Please take the time to do this right. I also want to add a personal note and a little perspective about funding repercussions. We moved to this area before we had kids just so our future kids could be Kyrene kids so they could attend these schools. We live on the far east side of the district near Price and Ray. Cielo was our home school, but we switched to Murata. We are between the gifted academies in Chandler and Murata, self-contained gifted program. In our joint quest as a hiring community to find funding where we can, I am very worried that you are forgetting about families like mine. Without Murata and its program available, we would have chosen the available programs outside of the district. You

089would have lost those nine years of funding. You will lose funding from families like mine. Murata, its leadership program, and especially its self-contained program, must stay open. Please do not close Murata. Thank you, Ms. Bassett. Our next speaker is Jason Ferrante, who is a community member who lives in the district. He will be followed by Angela Fautnolet. Good evening. Thanks for having all of us. First, I wanted to thank everyone behind me who are treating you all with dignity tonight with their attention, but do know they are screaming inside. All of them. I'm a resident of Warner Ranch. I am originally from Baltimore, from Baltimore City, where I was a minority in my high school. I wanted to tell you how refreshing it is to show up at Murata, where my niece and nephew, Harris

090and Serafina, have gone and go, to see one of the more diverse communities in this entire state. I crave that diversity, having moved here to Paradise. So it's so nice to see that. I'm also a professional opera singer. I travel the world 75% of the year, but my home is right here in this great district. I'm also speaking on behalf of my partner, Richard Oyosaba, who is an internationally acclaimed bass baritone who sings leading operatic roles on the stages of the world. That's why he can't be here tonight. He is the only Arizonan to ever perform as a participant representing the United States of America in the BBC Singer of the World competition. He went to Mariposa and Pueblo. Sometimes demographics should reflect not what we need to do, but what we are doing well.

091Take a look at the numbers. And in conclusion, I just wanted to respond to two things that struck me during your comments before the break. One was the suggestion that there is often fear of going west of the I-10. In the last week alone, I've been to their target. I've been to Gus's Fried Chicken and to Pita Jungle. I invite any of you for lunch, and it's my treat. We are not afraid of going west of the I-10. We are afraid of ignoring our success. And finally, another person commented that there are no cookie cutters out there. Damn straight. You cannot say there are no cookie cutters while holding the cutter. Our cookies are good. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Ferrante. Our next speaker is Angela Faltinoli, who is a current Kyrene parent and community

092member who lives in the district. She will be followed by Elizabeth Bolden. Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I'm sorry I look like Bob the Builder, but I was leading our leaders who are finding their voice, one of the many habits that they learn at Marada Leadership Academy. I arrived at Marada, not by accident, but very purposefully. I found myself suddenly... A widow in Miami with two small children, one of whom is twice exceptional, with an IEP this thick. I decided not just to move across the country. I chose Kyrene School District. And even farther, I'd like to go and say I specifically chose Kyrene de la Morada. I did my homework. Their self-contained gifted program is perfect for my two children, both of whom are twice exceptional with varying support needs.

093One of my children is autistic. He is also insanely brilliant and will clearly change the world at some point. Look out, hold on to your seats. When you come with a child with an IEP, I am the first one to tell you, people will turn you away in a hot second for open enrollment. I called Murata. I called Mrs. Anderson's assistant. And in no time, we were enveloped by the school. We walked into a love bubble. They protect our children. They love our children. They held us up when we were on the ground. Schools are more than demographics. Schools are heart. They are community. They are our soul. They are worth fighting for. Autism is something I'm going to discuss with you in another meeting. I'd like to discuss with you autism funding and how

094important it would be to bring back people from ESA and bring that autism funding back to Kyrene School District to help fund us to keep our very important schools open. But number one, in my heart, Kyrene Deva Murata must stay open. Thank you, Ms. Fountain-Mollet. Our final in-person public comment this evening is from Ms. Elizabeth Bolden, who is a current Kyrene parent and community member. Hi there. I just wanted to say thank you for all your time today. I agree with the many voices here. Our schools are wonderful, but I feel especially lucky to be part of the Murata family. I could spend hours telling you about the positive impact Michelle Anderson's leadership has had on our family and the psychological safety her staff has provided to my two children. But my comments today are

095not about celebrating one school over another. As Habit 4 reminds us, think win-win. All of our schools are wonderful, and supporting one should never mean diminishing another. My concern tonight is the lack of transparency in this process. We know that firms like Grace, core construction and McCarthy have sponsored Kyrene events or partnered with the district and they stand to profit if closures lead to major construction projects. The demographer applied economics whose projections frame declining enrollment and housing costs as inevitabilities as part of that same vendor ecosystem. So my questions are simple. Will the district disclose all donations and sponsorships these firms have made to Kyrene and its foundation? And will you commit to an independent review before moving forward with any closure vote? Until these questions are answered, the public cannot trust that this process

096is based solely on what's best for students and families. That's why I'm asking you to pause this process, to slow down, to disclose these relationships, and to allow an independent review. Thank you, Ms. Golden. That does conclude the in-person public comment portion of the meeting. I want to thank everyone again for being here. This is the first of many opportunities for public comment that will be given to the board before any decisions are made. As you know, we also have six public hearings as well as regular board meetings that will happen between now and December. I want to thank you again for being here this night. Board members, we're going to take a five-minute recess before picking back up with our meeting. Good night. Thank you. All right. We're going to reconvene our meeting at

0977.46 p.m. Item 7.1 is consent agenda. Would someone like to make a motion to approve the consent agenda? So move. I have a motion by Member Davis. Is there a second? Second. Second by Member Satri. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes 5-0. Item 8.1, board goals. So board, every year for the last probably five to six years, the board, whoever's been on the board, has set goals from time to time. It's meant to give us ownership and agency of our work, right? So that we're not just sitting up here rudderless responding to whatever is on the agenda the next week. We traditionally have done those at the start of the year, but we don't have to. This year, because we had... three new board members came on, we decided to

098take a little bit of a pause. And we find ourselves now at the start of a new school year. And we have an opportunity to set more goals for ourselves. So you saw previously some examples of past board goals, what they've looked like. They tend not to be numerous, you know, maybe two to three. And most of the time, they tend to be about six to 12 years to accomplish. And we check in. That's part of the idea of it. We do the goal discussion in a public board meeting. We report out in a public board meeting. We hold ourselves accountable in a public board meeting, whether or not we accomplished it, whether we didn't, what we need to work on. Today is just an opportunity to start that discussion with this new board to

099see what goal or goals, if any, we want to establish for ourselves. It could be, given what we have on our plate for the next five to six months, that we simply say we're going to have one board goal. and that's to address the recommendations from the Long-Range Planning Committee. And that is going to consume most of our energy for the next four to five months. That'd be a perfectly fine goal. And then in the next school year, January, we might get together and say we're going to set some new goals for ourselves, long term, short term. And they can be whatever this board likes. And I think the key for us is that we are able to communicate to ourselves what our goals are. And then we can also communicate to leadership so that

100they know what our goals are. And then I know Superintendent Tenius in the past has made sure that her goals. align with ours so that she's supporting the work that we've established for ourselves to do. So that's also something I think you appreciate hearing from us what our goals are. So with that being said, Vice President Nelson, since you've been on the board a little bit longer and served on any additional feedback you want to add on the goal conversation? No, no, no additional. But I do like the idea that. especially kind of where we're at. It's a little bit mid-year-ish that we wouldn't take on too many goals. I feel like if you have more than three, you're not going to accomplish anything. And this is just an opportunity to kick things around. The

101earliest we would have any action on this would be at our next meeting. And it doesn't have to be our next meeting. This is not something that's driven by statute. There's nothing that requires us to do it by a certain date. This is just us trying to be better board members and a better collective board. So I'll open it up. Does anybody have any thoughts or feedback on things that they want to ask, questions, process, anything like that? Member Davis. Yes. Thanks a lot for that introduction. feel without knowing the process that well as a new board member that our next few months are going to be pretty taken up by everything that we're having to deal with with the long-term planning recommendations and then our discussions about what our decisions are going to be.

102And I would be perfectly comfortable with making a single goal till the end of this process. of the formal process until we actually take a vote and decide what our final decisions are. My bandwidth can't conceive of dealing in depth with much else for the next few months. So I think that's a great decision. And since we can do it at any time, we don't have to wait until next school year or anything. We can just pick it up when we have. We could reconvene in January with a new set of discussions to discuss new goals. When this is over. That's right. Thank you. Thank you, Member Davis. Any other thoughts? Member Satri. Yes, and thank you, President Walsh, for your introduction, explaining everything. It's very helpful. I have put a lot of thought into

103some board goals, and now I'm very much respectfully... So understanding that probably is not the best time. I do have things that I would like to address, but I do want to be very respectful of our community and what's happening over the next couple of months and how we need to put all our focus on. That should be our goal. honestly, is to put 100% A-plus effort into making sure we do the best for our community for the rest of the year. So I would like to make that recommendation. That being said, I'm going to have some thoughts when we come back to this topic in January, right? Okay. That's all. Thank you. Thank you. Member Collins, anything? Vice President Nelson? Just a few thoughts. I would say, Member Satri, if there are items on

104your list that might dovetail into some of the things we are doing right now as far as grappling with the forthcoming recommendation from the Long Range Planning Committee, I do think this is still an opportunity to have a discussion, so I don't want you to feel as though there isn't space for that. I absolutely don't. Okay. Yes. My goal is pretty much what Member Davis said and part of what Amy said. We have a tough decision ahead of us in the forthcoming months. And I think personally would be selfish of myself to say this goal when we have, because there's a lot at stake here. Let's not downplay it. And I'm not saying that we are. But, you know, where I come from, respect is a big thing. And so I feel it would be

105disrespectful, in my opinion, to come up and say, oh, I have this goal. When we have students, staff, parents, the community in general, you know. that that is really, you know, we're wrestling with what we have to make here. So for me, I just think it would be my my personal opinion where I come from. It would be disrespectful for me to sit here and say, oh, this goal when we have a much bigger task at hand that we have to address. And so. That's my goal is making sure we address the elephant in the room, the elephant in the safari in the jungle. So we you know, we can make the most sound decision possible. And that's all I have to say on that question. President Walsh, if we were to I believe we

106can just make. How would we work this as a goal as far as working towards voting on the recommendation from the Long Range Planning Committee? Is that what we would write then as our goal and our focus for the next few months? Are you saying we don't have any goals and just grapple with that? I think the goal would be to work with the recommendation and get the community feedback and make the decision. Perfect. Which is, I think this board is generally aligned, will consume and should consume. most, if not all of our attention for the next few months. Okay. President Walsh. And I think just for process in the past, when we've done this, I think you've taken sort of the feedback from the rest of the board members, created a draft of something

107and, or worked with Aaron on wordsmithing. And then. brings it back to the board for final approval. Yep. So we would include a draft of it, probably in a board memo prior to our next meeting. So you all have a chance to look at it several days in advance of the meeting. Then we'll come to the meeting. If there's thoughts on the language, we could modify it right here and there. And then if the board is happy with it, we'll just vote at that time. So that would be the 16th. All right. Well, this is good feedback. Thank you. And I look forward to having more of those conversations for the next round of goals. It's a good, I find it's a good exercise to have to keep us focused on the work. All right.

108Item 9.1 was moved up earlier. So item 10.1 is items for future consideration. Would any board members wish to list items for future consideration? I see none. 11.1, meeting dates. Our next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16th, 2025. Item 12.1 is adjournment. Would someone like to make a motion to adjourn the meeting? Motion to adjourn. I have a motion by Member Satri. Is there a second to her motion? Second. Second by Member Davis. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes 5-0. We are adjourned at 7.56 p.m.