Four candidates are competing in the November 2024 election for three four-year seats on the Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board: Miguel Ortega-Romero, Leezah Sun and incumbents Steven Chapman and Freddie Daniel Villalon.
Though school district governing board races are toward the bottom of the ballot, their outcomes have real consequences for the more than 880,000 children who attend public school districts across the state. The individuals voters select will help create policies, set budgets, choose curricula and educational materials and oversee superintendents. School board races are nonpartisan, and being a school board member is unpaid.
In Maricopa County, candidates are competing for governing board seats in 33 school districts. Some voters may also see other school-related questions on their ballot: Three districts in the Phoenix area are seeking approval to sell district-owned property, and 26 are seeking approval for funding measures.
The Tolleson Union High School District is seeking voter approval for a $125 million bond measure to fund building maintenance, replace outdated systems, school building construction, technology, furniture and equipment, transportation and maintenance vehicles and school ground improvements.The estimated yearly tax rate for the bond is $0.34 per $100 of net assessed value.
The district is also seeking voter approval to renew a district additional assistance budget override to help fund technology.The estimated yearly tax rate for the override is $0.64 per $100 of net assessed value.
Here are the Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board candidates' responses to The Arizona Republic's candidate questionnaire. Responses have been edited for clarity.
What will voters decide in 2024?Who will be joining Maricopa County school boards?
Personal and professional experience
What experiences, personal or professional, would inform your role as a school board member?
Steven Chapman: I graduated from Tolleson UHSD in 2006 and ran for a position on the school board in 2010. I have had the privilege of representing the community I grew up in and continue to live in. Since serving, I have developed relationships with district and community leaders, worked as a partner with teachers and staff members, and brought years of experience in governance, policy, and results to serve the needs of our students. It is critical to have board members who lead collaboratively, understand our schools and staff, and have experience developing policies and initiatives that hold our administrators and schools accountable for student achievement.
Miguel Ortega-Romero:I'm a product of public schools; since first grade, I've gone to school in our community. In 2020, I graduated from La Joys Community High School, where I served as a representative and vice president in student government. I was also just two from the school appointed by the principal to serve on the superintendent student council. In May 2024, I graduated from ASU, where I served as a senator representing over 17,000 students. In my personal life, I'm in the human resource field. Outside of work, I try to always make a positive difference in our communities.
Leezah Sun: I have been a resident of this district for over two decades. As an immigrant and single mother, I have consistently worked to uplift my community through advocacy and commitment to equity. My dedication to public service includes being a community activist and a former state House representative, roles in which I have been a vocal supporter of AAPI communities and their needs. A strong advocate for education, access to resources, and equal opportunities, I have worked relentlessly to improve conditions for underrepresented communities, particularly communities of color.
Freddie Daniel Villalon: I have been a principal for over 20 years and have worked with my team to bring about highly performing schools.
Goals for the district
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
Chapman: I will continue expanding career and technical education opportunities for our students to ensure they have options after high school. I will also work to maintain the 98% staff retention rate in Tolleson UHSD due to our staff pay and benefits investments. Right now, we are celebrating all A and B grade schools, and it is my focus to bring all of our schools to A letter grades. Thanks to the incredibly supportive community of the Tolleson UHSD, we have the resources to further students' academic and extracurricular opportunities with experienced and dedicated staff members across our schools.
Ortega-Romero:I hope through my experience in human resources, I can bring an extension to our benefits for our teachers and staff. We need to keep being a competitive school district that allows teachers and staff to grow their professional skills. As a former student and my years of experience as a student leader, I want to bring more resources for students after high school. Now, it seems harder for a student to figure out what's the best path for them after high school. My plan would allow for students to start exploring careers, education or military activity earlier on. I feel education constantly changes, and I can bring a modern perspective of academic struggles for students. I always want the best for my community; I want to invite parents/guardians to be a part of their students' education. I would like to develop monthly surveys that are being sent to parents/guardians. I would really value their input into the way we lead our schools.
Sun: I am committed to increasing public school funding. Historically, public education funds have been diverted to private schools, charter schools and voucher programs. I aim to reallocate funds and secure grant-matching programs that can restore and enhance public education. Funding is key to creating a better learning environment for teachers, students and staff. Better funding, working conditions and wages help attract and retain teachers. It accelerates academic performance, allows us to maintain school infrastructure and ensures a better learning environment for staff and students.
I am also committed to fostering safer and greener school environments. I support efforts to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and recognize the need for greater mental health support and outreach, particularly for marginalized students. Additionally, I advocate for green initiatives such as solar and tree-planting that promote sustainability.
Villalon: To work with our team to bring about excelling schools throughout the district.
Supporting English language learners and students with disabilities; preparing students for college or career
How would you work to ensure students are college- or career-ready? How would you work to support students learning English and students with disabilities?
Chapman: I led the initiative to join West-MEC, a CTE district that provides additional resources and programs for the students in the Tolleson UHSD. Since its passage, we have invested over $12 million into expanding existing programs and starting new ones like engineering.
Our district has many students learning English, including a refugee population. We are supporting our English language development students through research-based curriculum, and even partnered with the IRC to support refugee students and families.
At Tolleson UHSD, we are investing dollars at the local level, which the federal government still needs to provide through IDEA. Because of our commitment to educating all students, we provide education and support in our classrooms and even partner with external organizations to meet student needs. Tolleson is fortunate to have incredible people teaching in our special needs classes and supporting them at the district office.
Ortega-Romero: I want to present all students the path after high school earlier. Exposing them and allowing them to build their own relationships with possibilities of the future is what they need. I want to build programs where students can have hands-on learning. Spanish is my first language, so I know what it feels like to learn English. We need resources and additional funding so students receive the proper education and learning development for their personal needs. Every student learns differently; we need to break down processes so each student learns at their respective pace.
Sun: I believe in this district and its potential to learn and succeed. Creating a better-funded academic environment is crucial to ensuring overall academic performance and success. I also believe in increasing allocations for programs that provide better access and information regarding college admissions, SAT prep, as well as ESL and disability programs.
Villalon: I will work with our team to continue with our blended learning programs. For the children who need extra support, we will continue using research-based curriculum to support the needs of the children and hire the best teachers.
Educator recruitment and retention
How would you work to help recruit and retain quality educators?
Chapman: Thanks to the continuous support of our community, Tolleson UHSD has an incredible 98% retention rate. We have made historic investments in pay and benefits for teachers and support staff to attract and keep the best across our schools. A starting teacher out of college will earn $62,400 this school year, not including benefits and performance pay. We also cover employee-only health benefits costs. This July, I developed and led the passage of one of the first paid parental leave policies for a school district, covering mothers and fathers. We are also investing in professional development that staff want and need to better serve our community. We also believe in the importance of employees having a say in district decisions, which is why I led the development and passage of a meet-and-confer policy that created a process for employees to discuss student achievement, workplace needs, and other issues critical to our team.
Ortega-Romero: We need to ensure our district is competitive with others. We start by enhancing our benefits for teachers and staff. We want to ensure that their professional development is always growing. Retaining teachers is possible when they enjoy their job and their purpose for our students and our communities. We can do more for them, and I will explore all possibilities when I'm on the board. I plan to work with our HR team and our operations team.
Sun: I believe in the importance of increasing teacher wages, improving working conditions and creating safer campuses. Attracting and retaining educators largely lies in creating an environment where both teachers and students can succeed.
Villalon: We will continue to offer competitive salaries and benefits.
Behavioral health programming and counselors
What is your position on behavioral health programming and access to counselors in schools?
Chapman: Schools must have social workers and psychologists available to support students' mental health and other needs. Physical or mental health issues can negatively impact a child's learning. We offer various services in and outside the school to support the students in our district. We also partner with parents and families to ensure that students and their families get the help they need. For example, we partner with a group called Touchstone, which provides its therapist services at our schools for the convenience of students and parents.
Ortega-Romero: There's no surprise that mental health concerns are on the rise, especially with young people. We need to normalize that reach out for help in school is OK. We can build the resources and the trust students need to face these issues. I'll ensure counselors are being recruited accordingly. We need people students can trust.
Sun: My platform includes increasing allocations for counselors, mental health professionals, and other services to ensure that every student receives the care and attention they deserve.
I also want to submit a policy that adds a mental health support number on student badges and IDs. Policies like these help ensure better direct access to those resources for students and their families should they need them.
Villalon: I support behavioral health and counselors for our children.
Bonds and overrides
Do you support seeking additional funding for school facilities and operational costs via voter-approved and taxpayer-funded bond and override measures?
Chapman: I have always supported the local decision-making that school districts and their communities have access to. A school district should be able to go to the community with a plan to support its students, ask for additional resources to get the job done, and let the community decide. These dollars are critical to bridging gaps in state and federal funding and ensuring every student has a fair chance in pursuing college, careers or even military service when they graduate high school.
Ortega-Romero: Funding from the state and federal government is needed now more than ever. Our state government has reduced our budgets for public schools. This is a huge problem. I believe additional funding in the forms of taxpayer-funded bond and override measures is needed to better our schools with funding projects that benefit everyone, from students, teachers and staff, and our community.
Sun: Yes, and I have participated in efforts to increase public school funding through such initiatives. I supported a public school override for five elementary school districts in 2023 and helped collect signatures in 2021 to get a school funding initiative on the ballot. I have volunteered on the ACLU Demand to Learn Campaign. I believe in education as the foundation for success, and by fighting for the necessary resources and reforms, I hope to be a part of helping students thrive both in and out of the classroom.
Villalon:Yes, I am in support of seeking additional funding for school facilities and operational costs via voter-approved and taxpayer-funded bond and override measures.
Reach the reporter at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com.
