Balsz Elementary School District, Arizona
| Balsz Elementary School District |
|---|
 |
| Maricopa County, Arizona |
| District details |
| Superintendent: George Barnes |
| # of school board members: 5 |
| Website: Link |
Balsz Elementary School District is a school district in Arizona.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district’s…
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
 |
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
George Barnes is the superintendent of the Balsz Elementary School District. Barnes began serving this role on February 1, 2022. His most recent career experience includes serving as an assistant superintendent at the Normandy Schools Collaborative. He has also served multiple roles at various other Arizona schools and as a professor at Arizona State University.[1]
Past superintendents
- Arleen M. Kennedy was the superintendent of the Balsz Elementary School District from July 1, 2020 until March 4, 2021 when she took a medical leave of absence. On June 17, 2021, the school board terminated her contract, citing her inability to serve as superintendent for at least 90 days.[1][2] Kennedy's previous career experience includes serving as superintendent of the St. David Unified School District in St. David, Arizona.[3]
- Jeffrey J. Smith was the superintendent of the Balsz Elementary School District from 2008 to 2020.[3][4]
School board
The Balsz Elementary School District Governing Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Governing board members are elected at large.[5]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Balsz Elementary School District, At-large | Jacob George | January 1, 2025 |
| Balsz Elementary School District, At-large | Vic Grace | January 1, 2023 |
| Balsz Elementary School District, At-large | Gail Knight | |
| Balsz Elementary School District, At-large | Todd Schwarz | 2018 |
| Balsz Elementary School District, At-large | Sidra Zaidi |
Elections
Board members are elected on a staggered basis during even-numbered years.
Three seats on the Balsz Elementary School District school board in Arizona were up for general election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline for this election was July 8, 2024.
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The Balsz Elementary School District Governing Board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]
District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[7]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $5,277,000 | $2,340 | 18% |
| Local: | $14,586,000 | $6,468 | 49% |
| State: | $9,702,000 | $4,302 | 33% |
| Total: | $29,565,000 | $13,111 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $33,225,000 | $14,585 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $29,517,000 | $12,957 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $14,728,000 | $6,465 | 44% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $4,362,000 | $1,914 | 13% |
| Administration: | $3,469,000 | $1,522 | 10% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $6,958,000 | $3,054 | 21% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $3,587,000 | $1,574 | |
| Construction: | $1,168,000 | $512 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $121,000 | $53 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $0 | $0 |
Teacher salaries
The average salary of all district teachers employed in fiscal year 2024 was $54,015,307.[8] In 2023 was $56,730. In fiscal year 2020, it was $55,806.[9] In fiscal year 2020, it was $52,359. In fiscal year 2019, it was $51,332.[10]
The teacher salary schedule was not available on the Balsz Elementary School District website as of April 2025.
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[11]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 7 | <=20 | 6-9 | 7 | <=5 | <=20 | 6-9 |
| 2018-2019 | 27 | <50 | 20-24 | 28 | 20-24 | 30-39 | 35-39 |
| 2017-2018 | 26 | <=20 | 15-19 | 27 | 25-29 | 21-39 | 30-34 |
| 2016-2017 | 25 | <=20 | 15-19 | 26 | 30-34 | 30-34 | |
| 2015-2016 | 26 | <50 | 10-14 | 27 | 30-34 | 30-34 | |
| 2014-2015 | 23 | 21-39 | 15-19 | 24 | 15-19 | 30-34 | |
| 2013-2014 | 49 | 40-49 | 40-44 | 50 | 45-49 | 55-59 | |
| 2012-2013 | 57 | 40-59 | 45-49 | 59 | 60-64 | 55-59 | |
| 2011-2012 | 55 | 50-59 | 40-44 | 57 | 55-59 | 60-64 | |
| 2010-2011 | 51 | 60-79 | 35-39 | 54 | 50-54 | 55-59 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 19 | <=20 | 20-24 | 18 | 10-14 | 21-39 | 15-19 |
| 2018-2019 | 25 | <50 | 20-24 | 26 | 10-14 | 20-29 | 30-34 |
| 2017-2018 | 24 | 21-39 | 25-29 | 23 | 15-19 | 21-39 | 30-34 |
| 2016-2017 | 21 | <=20 | 20-24 | 22 | 20-24 | 25-29 | |
| 2015-2016 | 21 | <50 | 15-19 | 21 | 20-24 | 25-29 | |
| 2014-2015 | 15 | <=20 | 10-14 | 15 | 15-19 | 20-24 | |
| 2013-2014 | 62 | 40-49 | 50-54 | 63 | 65-69 | 70-74 | |
| 2012-2013 | 64 | 40-59 | 55-59 | 65 | 70-74 | 70-74 | |
| 2011-2012 | 63 | 40-49 | 50-54 | 63 | 70-74 | 75-79 | |
| 2010-2011 | 61 | 60-79 | 45-49 | 64 | 60-64 | 65-69 |
Ballotpedia has not located graduation data for this district.
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 2,092 | -4.0 |
| 2022-2023 | 2,176 | -4.7 |
| 2021-2022 | 2,278 | 3.5 |
| 2020-2021 | 2,198 | -4.1 |
| 2019-2020 | 2,289 | -2.3 |
| 2018-2019 | 2,341 | 1.6 |
| 2017-2018 | 2,304 | -7.4 |
| 2016-2017 | 2,474 | -0.9 |
| 2015-2016 | 2,496 | -3.3 |
| 2014-2015 | 2,579 | -5.4 |
| 2013-2014 | 2,719 | 1.4 |
| 2012-2013 | 2,681 | -2.7 |
| 2011-2012 | 2,753 | 0.0 |
| 2010-2011 | 2,752 | -3.5 |
| 2009-2010 | 2,848 | -7.4 |
| 2008-2009 | 3,058 | -9.0 |
| 2007-2008 | 3,332 | -5.0 |
| 2006-2007 | 3,499 | -1.3 |
| 2005-2006 | 3,543 | 3.0 |
| 2004-2005 | 3,436 | 0.1 |
| 2003-2004 | 3,432 | 4.9 |
| 2002-2003 | 3,265 | -6.4 |
| 2001-2002 | 3,473 | 7.4 |
| 2000-2001 | 3,215 | 3.3 |
| 1999-2000 | 3,110 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Balsz Elementary School District (%) | Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 7.2 | 4.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.7 | 3.2 |
| Black | 21.9 | 5.8 |
| Hispanic | 62.2 | 48.2 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Two or More Races | 2.7 | 4.3 |
| White | 4.5 | 33.9 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Balsz Elementary School District had 130.50 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 16.03.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 0.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 8.00 |
| Elementary: | 122.50 |
| Secondary: | 0.00 |
| Total: | 130.50 |
Balsz Elementary School District employed 15.00 district administrators and 7.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 15.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 9.00 |
| School Administrators: | 7.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 5.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 39.40 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 1.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 2.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 2.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 0.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 33.10 |
| Other Support Services: | 40.50 |
Schools
Contact information
Balsz Elementary School District
4825 East Roosevelt St.
Phoenix, AZ 85008
Phone: 602-629-6400
Fax: 602-629-6470
About school boards
Education legislation in Arizona
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Arizona | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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 |
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Balsz Elementary School District
- Arizona School Boards Association
- Arizona Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arizona Informant, "BALSZ New Superintendent," accessed September 5, 2023
- ↑ Facebook, "Danielle Lerner," accessed September 5, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 AZEDNEWS, "BALSZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNOUNCES NEW SUPERINTENDENT," May 26, 2020
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Jeff Smith," accessed November 4, 2019
- ↑ Balsz School District, "Governing Board," accessed July 31, 2018
- ↑ Arizona School Boards Association, "Balsz Elementary School District No. 31 Public Participation at Board Meetings," accessed January 19, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ Balsz School District, "Average Teacher Salaries," accessed April 16, 2025
- ↑ Balsz School District, "Average Teacher Salaries," accessed January 31, 2024
- ↑ Balsz School District, "Average Teacher Salaries," accessed May 12, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
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