These are the candidates seeking seats on school boards across metropolitan Tucson.
Tucson Unified School District
Tucson Unified has two open seats on its governing board this election cycle. Current board members Val Romero and Jennifer Eckstrom are seeking re-election, but face three challengers.
University of Arizona student Tre'Davon Rhodes filed with 880 signatures, the most of any TUSD candidate. He wants "to bring a fresh perspective to TUSD and ensure that, like him, all students have the opportunity to succeed," according to his campaign website.
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STEM educator and entrepreneur Skye M. Fernandez lists her priorities as putting classroom spending first, restoring respect for educators and improving transparency and communication between the district and families, according to her campaign Facebook page.
Pilar Acosta Ruiz says her priorities are accountability, providing a safe learning environment for students and teachers and moving the district forward with "common sense solutions," according to her campaign website.
Romero, who has served on the board since 2023, said on his campaign website he's "looking to deliver results to our Pima County community and improve our current leadership, from entitlement, to being respectful and responsive to the constituents of District 5."
Current governing board member Jennifer Eckstrom, who's served since 2023, wrote on Facebook that she "will continue to support public education and realize the major challenges we face in TUSD. I am a person who is committed to her community and always have been."
Jennifer Eckstrom, second from right, and Val Romero, far right, are seeking re-election this November to the Tucson Unified School District governing board.
Amphitheater Public Schools
Youth On Their Own CEO Elizabeth Slater and former educators Nina Godlewski and John Fife will face off for two open four-year seats on the Amphitheater governing board.
Slater is a youth advocate and nonprofit leader in Tucson. She runs Youth On Their Own, a nonprofit that supports youth experiencing homelessness in Pima County.
Godlewski, who has three decades of experience in education, is running "to advocate for transparent communication, strategic budgeting, and proactive planning to address the declining enrollment and teacher shortages she has seen during her career," according to her campaign website.
Fife taught in Amphitheater Public Schools for 30 years before retiring in 2021. He now owns Fire Point Massage, according to Tucson Local Media. Fife also applied for an open board seat last year.
Current board member Michael Gemma, who was appointed last year after the death of former board member Patsy Harris, is running for the single open two-year seat against Kimberly Ryan, deputy general counsel for the Tucson Airport Authority.
Tanque Verde Unified School District
Tanque Verde incumbents Thomas Trask and Beth Peterson will defend their positions against newcomer Piper Jordan this November.
Jordan, a former art teacher at Agua Caliente Elementary and Emily Gray Junior High, says her priorities are student mental health, supporting teachers, transparency and accountability and excellence and equity for every student, according to her campaign website.
Peterson, the current board president, took office in 2023. In her board member profile, she said she looks "forward to serving the Tanque Verde community, understanding the needs of our district, and contributing to positive educational outcomes for our students."
Trask, the current board clerk, also took office in 2023. On his campaign website, he said he "brings disciplined, non-political leadership focused on student success" and prioritizes a rigorous curriculum, a culture of continuous improvement in every classroom and fiscal responsibility.
Vail, Marana, Sahuarita, Catalina Foothills and Flowing Wells
Vail Unified, Marana Unified and Sahuarita Unified school districts each have two open seats with two candidates filed. Catalina Foothills School District has three candidates who have filed for three open seats, and Flowing Wells Unified School District has one candidate for two open seats.
Current Vail board member Edward Buster is seeking re-election, while current member Jen Anderson is not, likely leaving the spot to newcomer Andrea Black. Black is a Vail parent who "has served on PTOs/PTAs, site councils, bond and override committees, technology committees, safety and security committees, transportation committees," according to an Instagram post.
Current Marana board president Kathryn Mikronis is seeking re-election, while member Tom Carlson is not, likely leaving the spot to newcomer Makyla Hays, a Marana parent and former Marana High School teacher.
Sahuarita incumbents John Sparks and Raul Rodriguez are the only people seeking the two open seats on Sahuarita Unified's governing board.
Three candidates are running for three open seats on the Catalina Foothills governing board: Eric Thu, director of property management for MotoSonora Brewing Co.; Marissa Baretich, director of programming operations and logistics at Canyon Ranch; and Ivelisse Bonilla, chief legal officer for the Primavera Foundation.
In Flowing Wells, current board member Arlene Ochoa, who was appointed last year to fill a vacancy left by Kristie Hammar's resignation, is the only candidate running for two available seats. Brianna Hamilton, who filed a statement of interest earlier this year, did not complete her candidate filing by the July 6 deadline, leaving the second seat open.
The Pima County Superintendent's Office will wait until July 20 for the 10-day challenge period and write-in period to close, said Matt Stamp, the office's communications and elections director. If the number of candidates still matches or is under the number of open seats after that, the office will recommend that the Pima County Board of Supervisors cancel elections in those districts.
"If approved, the qualified candidates who have filed will be appointed as if elected and there will be no election in that district," Stamp said in an email statement.
Sunnyside Unified School District
No candidates filed to run for the Sunnyside governing board election, which has two open seats.
"If Sunnyside has no qualified candidates, (their) election will be canceled and they will have two vacancies on their board beginning on Jan. 1, 2027," Stamp said in an email statement. "Vacancies are filled by an application and appointment process done by our office."
