Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.

Tolleson Union High School District, Arizona

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Tolleson Union High School District
School Board badge.png
Tolleson, Arizona
District details
Superintendent: Jeremy Calles
# of school board members: 5
Website: Link

Tolleson 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.

Jeremy Calles is the superintendent of the Tolleson Union High School District. Calles was appointed superintendent on July 12, 2023. Calles' previous career experience includes working as the district's chief financial officer.[1]

Past superintendents

  • Nora Gutierrez was the superintendent of the Tolleson Union High School District from June 20, 2016 until 2023.[2][3] Gutierrez's previous career experience includes working as a collaborative peer teacher, assistant principal, and human resources director.[2]
  • Lexi Cunningham was the superintendent of the Tolleson Union High School District from 2011 to 2016.[4]

School board

The Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large.[5]

Elections

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

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

Three seats on the Tolleson Union High 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

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

“

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS

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. In order to ensure that each individual has an opportunity to address the Board, the President may also set a time limit for individual speakers.

D. 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.

E. Presentations for unsolicited services will not be permitted. Companies or businesses offering services of possible interest to the District should send information to the District Office for distribution to appropriate School District officials.

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, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $18,093,000 $1,454 12%
Local: $70,111,000 $5,635 47%
State: $61,693,000 $4,958 41%
Total: $149,897,000 $12,048
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $165,367,000 $13,291
Total Current Expenditures: $110,092,000 $8,848
Instructional Expenditures: $58,715,000 $4,719 36%
Student and Staff Support: $16,416,000 $1,319 10%
Administration: $13,459,000 $1,081 8%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $21,502,000 $1,728 13%
Total Capital Outlay: $47,116,000 $3,786
Construction: $23,310,000 $1,873
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $82,000 $6
Interest on Debt: $7,216,000 $579


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] $62,400 $82,107
2022-2023[10] $52,172 $69,878
2021-2022[11] $47,970 $64,854
2020-2021[12] $46,800 $63,455

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 14 30-39 6-9 12 <=20 30-39 30-34
2018-2019 35 60-69 25-29 34 <50 20-29 55-59
2017-2018 28 50-59 20-24 26 <50 30-39 45-49
2016-2017 20 50-59 15-19 18 <=20 30-34
2015-2016 3 <=10 <=5 2 <50 6-9
2014-2015 28 50-59 15-19 27 21-39 40-44
2013-2014 53 70-79 40-44 51 30-39 65-69
2012-2013 49 80-89 40-44 46 21-39 65-69
2011-2012 51 70-79 40-44 48 40-49 67
2010-2011 52 70-74 35-39 51 50-59 70

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 22 40-49 20-24 20 <=20 40-49 40-44
2018-2019 36 60-69 25-29 34 <50 30-39 50-54
2017-2018 30 40-49 20-24 28 <50 20-29 50-54
2016-2017 23 50-59 15-19 20 <=20 35-39
2015-2016 14 30-34 6-9 12 21-39 25-29
2014-2015 23 30-39 15-19 22 <=20 35-39
2013-2014 84 >=90 80-84 83 70-79 85-89
2012-2013 81 >=90 65-69 81 60-79 85-89
2011-2012 77 80-89 70-74 76 70-79 87
2010-2011 74 75-79 70-74 73 60-69 88

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 89 >=95 85-89 89 >=80 80-84 85-89
2018-2019 89 >=95 90-94 89 >=80 80-89 85-89
2017-2018 90 >=95 90-94 90 80-89 80-89 90-94
2016-2017 89 >=95 85-89 89 >=80 85-89
2015-2016 89 >=90 90-94 89 >=80 90-94
2014-2015 85 >=95 80-84 85 60-79 85-89
2013-2014 80 >=90 80-84 79 70-79 85
2012-2013 79 >=90 70-74 79 60-79 81
2011-2012 81 90-94 80-84 81 60-69 84
2010-2011 86 >=90 80-84 85 60-79 90


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 13,741 3.0
2021-2022 13,335 6.7
2020-2021 12,442 -0.4
2019-2020 12,496 4.3
2018-2019 11,956 0.4
2017-2018 11,909 7.1
2016-2017 11,066 -3.2
2015-2016 11,419 2.5
2014-2015 11,132 3.9
2013-2014 10,697 5.8
2012-2013 10,077 3.1
2011-2012 9,766 3.8
2010-2011 9,391 2.3
2009-2010 9,173 1.6
2008-2009 9,028 4.3
2007-2008 8,641 7.1
2006-2007 8,030 6.7
2005-2006 7,493 15.7
2004-2005 6,316 13.1
2003-2004 5,487 9.0
2002-2003 4,993 5.8
2001-2002 4,704 5.5
2000-2001 4,446 3.3
1999-2000 4,300 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Tolleson Union High School District (%) Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 1.1 4.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 1.8 3.1
Black 9.9 5.7
Hispanic 78.6 47.6
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.4 0.4
Two or More Races 2.4 4.2
White 5.9 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, Tolleson Union High School District had 594.80 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 23.1.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 0.00
Kindergarten: 0.00
Elementary: 0.00
Secondary: 594.80
Total: 594.80

Tolleson Union High School District employed 24.00 district administrators and 34.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 24.00
District Administrative Support: 44.26
School Administrators: 34.00
School Administrative Support: 56.16
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 111.64
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 16.00
Total Guidance Counselors: 38.80
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 0.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 38.80
Librarians/Media Specialists: 5.00
Library/Media Support: 0.00
Student Support Services: 113.00
Other Support Services: 234.16


Schools

The Tolleson Union High School District operates eight schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Copper Canyon High School2,1569-12
La Joya Community High School2,0789-12
Sierra Linda High School1,9759-12
Tolleson Union High School2,2569-12
Tolleson Virtual High School09-12
University High School3799-12
West Point High School3,0339-12
Westview High School1,8649-12

Noteworthy events

2025: Recall effort against two board members

See also: Steven Chapman and Leezah Sun recall, Tolleson Union High School District, Arizona (2025)

An effort to recall two of the five members of the Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board in Arizona began in July 2025. Steven Chapman and Leezah Sun were named in the applications for recall petitions. At the time the recall effort began, Sun was serving was board president, and Chapman was serving as board vice president.[14][15]

Contact information

Tollesion Union High School District logo.PNG
Tolleson Union High School District
9801 W. Van Buren St.
Tolleson, AZ 85353
Phone: 623-478-4000


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. ↑ Daily Independent, "Tolleson Union High School District names new superintendent," July 12, 2023
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 AZEdNews, "Governing Board Appoints Tolleson Union High School District Interim Superintendent," July 22, 2016
  3. ↑ West Valley View, "TUHSD superintendent making her mark with Latino group," December 21, 2018
  4. ↑ Salt Lake Tribune, "'Kids come first': New leader of SLC schools plans to engage in the classroom and community," July 8, 2016
  5. ↑ Tolleson Union High School District, "Our Governing Board," accessed March 22, 2021
  6. ↑ Arizona School Boards Association, "Tolleson Union High School District No. 214 Public Participation at Board Meetings," accessed May 18, 2021
  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 June 17, 2024
  9. ↑ Tolleson Union High School District, "Tolleson Union High School District #214 Certified Initial Placement Salary Schedule (New Hires Only) 2024-2025," accessed April 24, 2025
  10. ↑ Tolleson Union High School District, "Tolleson Union High School District #214 Certified Initial Placement Salary Schedule (New Hires Only) 2022-2023," accessed February 6, 2024
  11. ↑ Tolleson Union High School District, "Tolleson Union High School District #214 Certified Initial Placement Salary Schedule 2021-2022," accessed May 18, 2021
  12. ↑ Tolleson Union High School District, "Tolleson Union High School District #214 Certified Initial Placement Salary Schedule 2020-2021," accessed May 18, 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
  14. ↑ Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, "Recall elections," accessed July 21, 2025
  15. ↑ Tolleson Union High School District, "Governing Board," accessed July 22, 2025
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=Tolleson_Union_High_School_District,_Arizona&oldid=10499048"