Election law changes? Our legislation tracker’s got you. Check it out!

Phoenix Union High School District, Arizona

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Phoenix Union High School District
School Board badge.png
Phoenix, Arizona
District details
Superintendent: Thea Andrade
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Phoenix Union High School District is a school district in Arizona.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district’s…

Superintendent

BP-Initials-UPDATED.png
 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Thea Andrade is the superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District. Andrade was appointed superintendent in 2023. Andrade's previous career experience includes working various administrative roles in the district, including a chief achievement officer, executive director, and area supervisor. Prior to her time at PUHSD, she worked as a principal and a teacher.

[1]

Past superintendents

  • Chad E. Gestson was the superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District from 2015 until 2023. Gestson's previous career experience includes working as an elementary school assistant principal and a middle school principal.[2]
  • Kent Scribner was the superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District from 2008 to 2015.[3] Scribner's previous career experience included working as the superintendent of the Isaac School District #5 and as the executive director of the department of human resources for the Tempe Elementary School District.[4]

School board

The Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Five members are elected by district, and two members are elected at large.[5]

Elections

See also: Phoenix Union High School District, Arizona, elections

Board members are elected on a staggered basis in November of even-numbered years.

Two seats on the Phoenix Union High School District school board in Arizona were up for special general election on March 11, 2025.

The election was originally on the ballot on November 5, 2024, but the results for the two at-large seats were voided after election ballots were printed with an error in instructions. The redo election was rescheduled to be held on March 11, 2025, with the same candidates who appeared on the ballot in November.

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

Hall Pass

Stay up to date on school board politics!

Subscribe for a weekly roundup of the sharpest commentary and research from across the political spectrum with Ballotpedia's Hall Pass newsletter.


Public participation in board meetings

The Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]

“

All regular and special meetings of the Board shall be open to the public.

The Board invites the viewpoints of citizens throughout the District, and considers the responsible presentation of these viewpoints vital to the efficient operation of the District. The Board also recognizes its responsibility for the proper governance of the schools and therefore the need to conduct its business in an orderly and efficient manner. The Board therefore establishes the following procedures to receive input from citizens of the District:

A. Any individual desiring to address the Board shall complete a form (Request to Address Board) and give this form to the Superintendent prior to the start of the Board meeting.

B. The Board President shall be responsible for recognizing speakers, maintaining proper order, and adhering to any time limit set. Questions requiring investigation shall be referred to the Superintendent for later report to the Board. Questions or comments on matters that are currently under legal review will not receive a response.

C. If considered necessary, the President shall set a time limit on the length of the comment period.

D. Any citizen who wishes to appear before the Board regarding an item on the agenda, as well as items not on the agenda, may have an opportunity to appear before the Board. Discussion shall be limited to three (3) minutes, unless the Governing Board President determines that a shorter time is necessary to expedite an orderly conduct of the meeting. In the event that an individual(s) or group(s) appear before the Board to present similar information that is repetitive or substantially repetitive from meeting to meeting, the chair may direct that the individual(s) or group(s) submit their concern(s) and/or information in writing for Governing Board review.

E. Personal attacks upon Board members, staff personnel, or other persons in attendance or absent by individuals who address the Board are discouraged. Policies KE, KEB, KEC, and KED are provided by the Board for disposition of legitimate complaints, including those involving individuals. 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.

F. All presentations must be given in person. No electronic presentations will be allowed.

The Superintendent shall ensure that a copy of this policy is posted at the entrance to the Board meeting room, and that an adequate supply of forms is available.[7]

”

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.

School board meeting articles (click to collapse)


District map

School 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.[8]

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $88,448,000 $3,171 18%
Local: $284,734,000 $10,209 58%
State: $118,690,000 $4,256 24%
Total: $491,872,000 $17,636
Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $404,957,000 $14,519
Total Current Expenditures: $329,544,000 $11,815
Instructional Expenditures: $170,728,000 $6,121 42%
Student and Staff Support: $59,855,000 $2,146 15%
Administration: $34,545,000 $1,238 9%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $64,416,000 $2,309 16%
Total Capital Outlay: $53,676,000 $1,924
Construction: $32,002,000 $1,147
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $870,000 $31
Interest on Debt: $16,748,000 $600


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
2024-2025[9] $53,000 $95,130
2023-2024[10] $52,200 $93,694
2021-2022[11] $47,017 $86,882
2020-2021[12] $46,551 $86,022

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.[13]

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 10 25-29 7 10 <=5 15-19 15-19
2018-2019 37 55-59 20 38 35-39 35-39 45-49
2017-2018 38 40-44 26 38 35-39 35-39 55-59
2016-2017 30 40-44 19 31 30-34 35-39
2015-2016 13 20-24 10 13 6-9 25-29
2014-2015 33 40-44 25 33 35-39 35-39
2013-2014 51 55-59 39 52 45-49 56
2012-2013 50 45-49 42 50 45-49 60
2011-2012 49 45-49 42 50 45-49 60
2010-2011 47 50-54 37 47 50-54 56

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 15 20-29 12 14 6-9 20-29 25-29
2018-2019 33 45-49 25 33 25-29 40-44 50-54
2017-2018 30 40-44 21 29 25-29 40-44 50-54
2016-2017 23 35-39 17 22 20-24 35-39
2015-2016 20 30-34 15 19 10-14 35-39
2014-2015 47 40-44 46 46 50-54 55-59
2013-2014 79 65-69 69 80 70-74 82
2012-2013 76 50-54 68 77 70-74 82
2011-2012 71 45-49 64 72 70-74 75
2010-2011 66 50-54 61 67 70-74 75

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 81 90-94 79 82 75-79 75-79 74
2018-2019 80 75-79 76 81 70-74 75-79 70-74
2017-2018 82 80-84 79 83 65-69 70-74 75-79
2016-2017 83 75-79 85 84 70-74 75-79
2015-2016 84 75-79 80 85 60-64 75-79
2014-2015 79 70-74 76 81 65-69 72
2013-2014 76 55-59 72 78 60-64 76
2012-2013 74 60-64 72 76 70-74 71
2011-2012 75 65-69 76 77 70-74 76
2010-2011 79 70-74 78 80 70-74 79


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024 26,753 -4.3
2022-2023 27,900 0.0
2021-2022 27,890 3.1
2020-2021 27,037 -2.1
2019-2020 27,603 0.1
2018-2019 27,573 1.1
2017-2018 27,268 -0.6
2016-2017 27,423 1.1
2015-2016 27,109 0.8
2014-2015 26,900 1.2
2013-2014 26,582 2.7
2012-2013 25,854 -0.1
2011-2012 25,881 3.6
2010-2011 24,949 -1.0
2009-2010 25,187 -0.5
2008-2009 25,305 -4.7
2007-2008 26,483 2.8
2006-2007 25,733 2.8
2005-2006 25,010 0.9
2004-2005 24,776 3.2
2003-2004 23,989 1.6
2002-2003 23,616 3.5
2001-2002 22,779 2.6
2000-2001 22,192 2.1
1999-2000 21,726 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE Phoenix Union High School District (%) Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 2.2 4.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 1.4 3.2
Black 9.6 5.8
Hispanic 81.4 48.2
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.3 0.4
Two or More Races 1.5 4.3
White 3.7 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, Phoenix Union High School District had 1,410.20 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 18.97.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 0.00
Kindergarten: 0.00
Elementary: 0.00
Secondary: 1,410.20
Total: 1,410.20

Phoenix Union High School District employed 33.00 district administrators and 78.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 33.00
District Administrative Support: 132.60
School Administrators: 78.00
School Administrative Support: 166.00
Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 235.65
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 35.00
Total Guidance Counselors: 94.50
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 0.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 94.50
Librarians/Media Specialists: 15.00
Library/Media Support: 0.00
Student Support Services: 361.67
Other Support Services: 557.21


Schools

The Phoenix Union High School District operates 20 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Alhambra High School2,1189-12
Betty Fairfax High School1,9239-12
Bostrom Alternative Center3139-12
Camelback High School2,1919-12
Carl Hayden High School2,0669-12
Central High School1,7589-12
Cesar Chavez High School2,6449-12
Franklin Police And Fire High School3249-12
Linda Abril Educational Academy25710-12
Maryvale High School2,6859-12
Metro Tech High School1,8179-12
North High School1,9029-12
Phoenix Coding Academy2369-12
Phoenix Digital Academy8909-12
Phoenix Educator Preparatory59-12
Phoenix Union Bioscience High School3929-12
Phoenix Union-Wilson College Preparatory2019-12
Pxu City579-12
South Mountain High School2,1719-12
Trevor Browne High School2,8039-12

Contact information

Phoenix Union High School logo.png

Phoenix Union High School District
4502 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Phone: 602-764-1100


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
Seal of Arizona.png
School Board badge.png
Ballotpedia RSS.jpg

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Phoenix Union, "Administrative Team," accessed December 5, 2023
  2. ↑ Phoenix Union, "Administrative Team," accessed March 31, 2021
  3. ↑ KTAR News, "Stanton calls resignation of PUHSD superintendent ‘a great loss,'" August 13, 2015
  4. ↑ LinkedIn, "Kent P. Scribner," accessed October 7, 2019
  5. ↑ Phoenix Union, "Governing Board," accessed March 17, 2021
  6. ↑ Arizona School Boards Association, "Phoenix Union High School District No. 210 Public Participation at Board Meetings," accessed April 18, 2025
  7. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
  9. ↑ Phoenix Union, "Certified Staff Salary Schedule (209 Days) - 2024-2025 School Year," accessed April 18, 2025
  10. ↑ Phoenix Union, "Certified Staff Salary Schedule (209 Days)," accessed February 6, 2024
  11. ↑ Phoenix Union, "Certified Staff Salary Schedule," accessed May 4, 2021
  12. ↑ Phoenix Union, "Certified Staff Salary Schedule," accessed May 4, 2021
  13. ↑ 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
v • e
Arizona school districts
Flag of Arizona
v • e
State of Arizona
Phoenix (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Phoenix_Union_High_School_District,_Arizona&oldid=10499040"