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Paradise Valley Unified School District, Arizona
| Paradise Valley Unified School District |
|---|
 |
| Phoenix, Arizona |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Todd Cummings |
| # of school board members: 5 |
| Website: Link |
Paradise Valley Unified 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
- Budget
- 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. |
Dr. Todd Cummings is the superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Cummings was appointed in April 2025 and began serving in July 2025. His previous experience includes serving as a superintendent and middle school teacher.[1]
Past superintendents
- Jason Reynolds was the interim superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Reynolds was appointed in February 2024 and began serving in July 2024 until June 2025. His previous career experience includes working as a teacher, dean, assistant principal, principal, director, and assistant superintendent.[2]
- Troy Bales was the superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Bales was appointed superintendent on July 1, 2021 and served until July 2024. His previous career experiences include working as an administrator and principal in Paradise Valley Schools. [4]
- James P. Lee was the acting superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Lee was appointed acting superintendent in December 2020 and served until July 2021. His previous career experience includes working as Assistant Superintendent for Support Services and Planning and as Director of Student Services for the district.[5]
- Jesse Welsh was the superintendent of the Paradise Valley Unified School District from 2019 to 2020. Welsh's previous career experience includes working as the superintendent of the Clark County School District in Nevada, an academic manager, and a regional data coordinator.[6]
School board
The Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large.[7]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large | Sandra Christensen | January 1, 2023 |
| Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large | Anne Greenberg | January 1, 2005 |
| Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large | Amanda Lim | January 1, 2025 |
| Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large | Tony Pantera | January 1, 2023 |
| Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large | Jessica Wani | January 1, 2025 |
Elections
Board members are elected on a staggered basis in November of even-numbered years.
Three seats on the Paradise Valley Unified 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 Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[8]
| “ |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS The Governing Board invites and encourages employees, students, parents, patrons and other interested parties to responsibly present information and viewpoints that have as their purpose the improvement of education and betterment of the District. Members of the Governing Board believe in freedom of expression and mandate that individuals be permitted to disclose information of public concern and express opinions without fear of retribution or intimidation. The Board also recognizes its responsibility for the proper governance of the schools and the need to conduct its business in an orderly and efficient manner. The Board therefore establishes the following procedures to receive input from individuals at regular and special meetings:
The Governing Board appreciates employee input and expects employees to adhere to high standards of professionalism when presenting information or opinions during a Governing Board meeting. Employees or former employees who believe that an adverse personnel action has been taken against him or her as a result of a disclosure made under Arizona Revised Statutes §38-532 shall be entitled to make a complaint per Policy AC. Personal attacks upon Board members, staff personnel or other persons in attendance or absent by individuals who address the Board are discouraged. Upon conclusion of the open Call to the Public, individual members of the Board may respond to any criticism made by an individual who has addressed the Board. While it is the hope of the Governing Board that individuals addressing the Board will maintain proper decorum and respect during their remarks, the Board retains the discretion of pursuing other actions should individuals present statements or representations concerning others that convey an unjustly unfavorable impression. Policies KE, KEB, and KEC are provided by the Board for disposition of legitimate complaints, including those involving individuals.[9] |
” |
School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
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.[10]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $31,984,000 | $1,111 | 10% |
| Local: | $210,265,000 | $7,307 | 63% |
| State: | $90,735,000 | $3,153 | 27% |
| Total: | $332,984,000 | $11,572 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $376,516,000 | $12,934 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $269,379,000 | $9,254 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $154,354,000 | $5,302 | 41% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $43,196,000 | $1,483 | 11% |
| Administration: | $24,583,000 | $844 | 7% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $47,246,000 | $1,623 | 13% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $80,420,000 | $2,762 | |
| Construction: | $59,069,000 | $2,029 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $8,582,000 | $294 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $14,904,000 | $512 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022[11] | $43,781 | $60,173 |
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.[12]
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 | 39 | 68 | 14 | 19 | 15-19 | 48 | 50 |
| 2018-2019 | 50 | 72 | 29 | 33 | 30-34 | 55 | 60 |
| 2017-2018 | 52 | 72 | 28 | 33 | 30-34 | 56 | 62 |
| 2016-2017 | 50 | 69 | 28 | 32 | 20-24 | 59 | |
| 2015-2016 | 46 | 68 | 22 | 29 | 20-24 | 55 | |
| 2014-2015 | 42 | 63 | 22 | 25 | 20-24 | 51 | |
| 2013-2014 | 70 | 82 | 50 | 54 | 45-49 | 77 | |
| 2012-2013 | 71 | 84 | 54 | 54 | 50-54 | 79 | |
| 2011-2012 | 71 | 86 | 54 | 54 | 55-59 | 78 | |
| 2010-2011 | 70 | 87 | 56 | 51 | 55-59 | 77 |
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 | 46 | 73 | 25 | 28 | 20-24 | 52 | 56 |
| 2018-2019 | 53 | 71 | 35 | 35 | 25-29 | 59 | 64 |
| 2017-2018 | 53 | 66 | 31 | 32 | 30-34 | 61 | 64 |
| 2016-2017 | 51 | 70 | 32 | 31 | 30-34 | 62 | |
| 2015-2016 | 49 | 65 | 28 | 31 | 25-29 | 59 | |
| 2014-2015 | 45 | 57 | 25 | 27 | 25-29 | 55 | |
| 2013-2014 | 85 | 89 | 75 | 73 | 70-74 | 91 | |
| 2012-2013 | 85 | 91 | 75 | 73 | 75-79 | 91 | |
| 2011-2012 | 84 | 91 | 74 | 70 | 70-74 | 90 | |
| 2010-2011 | 84 | 94 | 76 | 69 | 75-79 | 90 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 87 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 78 | 60-79 | 85-89 | 92 |
| 2018-2019 | 89 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 80 | 80-89 | 90-94 | 93 |
| 2017-2018 | 88 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 81 | 60-79 | 90-94 | 91 |
| 2016-2017 | 88 | 90-94 | 85-89 | 82 | 60-79 | 92 | |
| 2015-2016 | 88 | 85-89 | 85-89 | 85 | 60-79 | 90 | |
| 2014-2015 | 89 | 85-89 | 85-89 | 81 | 40-59 | 92 | |
| 2013-2014 | 88 | >=95 | 80-84 | 79 | 60-79 | 91 | |
| 2012-2013 | 85 | 85-89 | 75-79 | 73 | 60-79 | 90 | |
| 2011-2012 | 88 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 76 | >=50 | 92 | |
| 2010-2011 | 88 | >=95 | 75-79 | 75 | 60-79 | 92 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 27,919 | -2.8 |
| 2021-2022 | 28,707 | -1.4 |
| 2020-2021 | 29,109 | -6.5 |
| 2019-2020 | 30,999 | -0.3 |
| 2018-2019 | 31,105 | -0.7 |
| 2017-2018 | 31,315 | -1.9 |
| 2016-2017 | 31,905 | -1.3 |
| 2015-2016 | 32,316 | -0.5 |
| 2014-2015 | 32,491 | 0.1 |
| 2013-2014 | 32,464 | -1.4 |
| 2012-2013 | 32,919 | -0.3 |
| 2011-2012 | 33,017 | 0.0 |
| 2010-2011 | 33,017 | -0.4 |
| 2009-2010 | 33,146 | -2.4 |
| 2008-2009 | 33,942 | -0.5 |
| 2007-2008 | 34,114 | -1.6 |
| 2006-2007 | 34,648 | -0.3 |
| 2005-2006 | 34,763 | -1.3 |
| 2004-2005 | 35,202 | 0.9 |
| 2003-2004 | 34,884 | -0.5 |
| 2002-2003 | 35,073 | -1.1 |
| 2001-2002 | 35,451 | 1.6 |
| 2000-2001 | 34,882 | 0.7 |
| 1999-2000 | 34,625 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Paradise Valley Unified School District (%) | Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1.2 | 4.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.9 | 3.1 |
| Black | 4.1 | 5.7 |
| Hispanic | 33.5 | 47.6 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Two or More Races | 5.0 | 4.2 |
| White | 51.9 | 34.9 |
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 2022-2023 school year, Paradise Valley Unified School District had 1,835.71 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.21.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 29.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 84.00 |
| Elementary: | 1,232.29 |
| Secondary: | 490.42 |
| Total: | 1,835.71 |
Paradise Valley Unified School District employed 25.00 district administrators and 66.92 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 25.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 125.78 |
| School Administrators: | 66.92 |
| School Administrative Support: | 185.39 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 451.44 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 36.51 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 47.80 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 19.20 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 28.60 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 14.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 329.37 |
| Other Support Services: | 330.86 |
Schools
Noteworthy events
2021: School board recall effort fails to qualify for ballot
An effort to recall three of the five members of the Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board failed to qualify for the ballot in 2021. Julie Bacon, Anne Greenberg, and Susan Matura were named in the recall petitions. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect 17,145 signatures per board member by March 18, 2021.[13]
Recall supporters listed the board's decision to close schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the recall effort.[13]
Contact information
Paradise Valley Unified School District
15002 N. 32nd St.
Phoenix, AZ 85032
Phone: 602-449-2000
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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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Paradise Valley Unified School District
- Arizona School Boards Association
- Arizona Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ PVSchools, "Superintendent Search Results in Selection, Dr. Todd Cummings," March 25, 2025
- ↑ City Sun Times, "PVSchools appoint interim superintendent," March 19, 2024
- ↑ PV Schools, "Dr. Jason Reynolds," accessed April 17, 2025
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ PV Schools, "Dr. James P. Lee," accessed May 18, 2021
- ↑ 12News, "Paradise Valley Unified Superintendent Dr. Jesse Welsh resigns," December 7, 2020
- ↑ PV Schools, "Governing Board," accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Arizona School Boards Association, "Paradise Valley Unified School District No. 69 Public Participation at Board Meetings," accessed April 17, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ PV Schools, "Teacher Salary Ranges," April 27, 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
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, "Recall Elections," accessed June 9, 2021
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