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Tucson Unified School District, Arizona
| Tucson Unified School District |
|---|
 |
| Tucson, Arizona |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Gabriel Trujillo |
| # of school board members: 5 |
| Website: Link |
Tucson 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. |
Gabriel Trujillo is the superintendent of the Tucson Unified School District. Trujillo was appointed superintendent in March 2017. Trujillo's previous career experience includes working as a teacher, principal, and human resources director.[1]
School board
The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large.[2]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson Unified School District, At-large | Jennifer Eckstrom | January 1, 2023 |
| Tucson Unified School District, At-large | Val Romero | January 1, 2023 |
| Tucson Unified School District, At-large | Natalie Luna Rose | January 1, 2021 |
| Tucson Unified School District, At-large | Ravi Shah | January 1, 2021 |
| Tucson Unified School District, At-large | Sadie Shaw | January 1, 2021 |
Elections
Board members are elected on a staggered basis in November of even-numbered years.
Three seats on the Tucson Unified School District school board was
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 Tucson Unified School District Governing Board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[3]
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.[4]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $119,812,000 | $2,917 | 23% |
| Local: | $225,784,000 | $5,497 | 44% |
| State: | $172,553,000 | $4,201 | 33% |
| Total: | $518,149,000 | $12,614 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $457,707,000 | $10,924 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $413,499,000 | $9,869 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $219,260,000 | $5,233 | 48% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $72,136,000 | $1,721 | 16% |
| Administration: | $39,675,000 | $946 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $82,428,000 | $1,967 | 18% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $34,395,000 | $820 | |
| Construction: | $12,805,000 | $305 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $3,432,000 | $81 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $6,090,000 | $145 |
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[5] | $47,400 | $54,900 |
| 2023-2024[6] | $37,800 | - |
| 2020-2021[7] | $41,200 | - |
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.[8]
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 | 25-29 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 27 |
| 2018-2019 | 31 | 45 | 20 | 28 | 15 | 40 | 46 |
| 2017-2018 | 32 | 44 | 19 | 28 | 16 | 42 | 48 |
| 2016-2017 | 30 | 44 | 17 | 26 | 16 | 45 | |
| 2015-2016 | 28 | 39 | 17 | 25 | 17 | 41 | |
| 2014-2015 | 27 | 41 | 16 | 23 | 16 | 39 | |
| 2013-2014 | 52 | 62 | 37 | 49 | 37 | 64 | |
| 2012-2013 | 52 | 62 | 37 | 50 | 37 | 66 | |
| 2011-2012 | 50 | 63 | 36 | 47 | 34 | 65 | |
| 2010-2011 | 48 | 61 | 37 | 43 | 36 | 63 |
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 | 23 | 30-34 | 13 | 20 | 12 | 33 | 39 |
| 2018-2019 | 34 | 42 | 24 | 30 | 19 | 45 | 50 |
| 2017-2018 | 33 | 40 | 22 | 29 | 17 | 43 | 49 |
| 2016-2017 | 31 | 37 | 19 | 27 | 18 | 46 | |
| 2015-2016 | 31 | 37 | 20 | 27 | 18 | 46 | |
| 2014-2015 | 29 | 35 | 20 | 25 | 18 | 43 | |
| 2013-2014 | 72 | 71 | 61 | 70 | 61 | 80 | |
| 2012-2013 | 72 | 71 | 61 | 70 | 61 | 82 | |
| 2011-2012 | 70 | 71 | 58 | 68 | 56 | 81 | |
| 2010-2011 | 70 | 74 | 60 | 67 | 60 | 81 |
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 | 80-84 | 70-74 | 82 | 70-74 | 75-79 | 82 |
| 2018-2019 | 86 | 90-94 | 70-74 | 87 | 75-79 | 90-94 | 86 |
| 2017-2018 | 85 | 85-89 | 75-79 | 86 | 80-84 | 85-89 | 85 |
| 2016-2017 | 85 | 85-89 | 80-84 | 85 | 75-79 | 86 | |
| 2015-2016 | 82 | 80-84 | 75-79 | 82 | 70-74 | 86 | |
| 2014-2015 | 83 | 85-89 | 80-84 | 82 | 65-69 | 87 | |
| 2013-2014 | 80 | 70-74 | 70-74 | 79 | 65-69 | 84 | |
| 2012-2013 | 80 | 80-84 | 75-79 | 77 | 60-64 | 86 | |
| 2011-2012 | 80 | 75-79 | 75-79 | 77 | 65-69 | 86 | |
| 2010-2011 | 82 | 80-84 | 75-79 | 79 | 60-64 | 89 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 41,511 | -1.2 |
| 2021-2022 | 42,002 | 0.2 |
| 2020-2021 | 41,898 | -7.5 |
| 2019-2020 | 45,036 | -1.2 |
| 2018-2019 | 45,560 | 0.2 |
| 2017-2018 | 45,457 | -4.2 |
| 2016-2017 | 47,366 | -1.0 |
| 2015-2016 | 47,839 | -1.3 |
| 2014-2015 | 48,455 | -1.8 |
| 2013-2014 | 49,308 | -3.0 |
| 2012-2013 | 50,771 | -1.9 |
| 2011-2012 | 51,720 | -3.0 |
| 2010-2011 | 53,275 | -3.9 |
| 2009-2010 | 55,369 | -3.7 |
| 2008-2009 | 57,391 | -3.4 |
| 2007-2008 | 59,327 | -1.7 |
| 2006-2007 | 60,333 | -0.4 |
| 2005-2006 | 60,557 | -1.1 |
| 2004-2005 | 61,204 | -0.4 |
| 2003-2004 | 61,448 | -0.8 |
| 2002-2003 | 61,958 | -0.2 |
| 2001-2002 | 62,104 | 0.4 |
| 2000-2001 | 61,869 | -1.1 |
| 1999-2000 | 62,548 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Tucson Unified School District (%) | Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 3.8 | 4.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.7 | 3.1 |
| Black | 6.4 | 5.7 |
| Hispanic | 65.3 | 47.6 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Two or More Races | 4.1 | 4.2 |
| White | 18.3 | 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, Tucson Unified School District had 2,823.72 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.7.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 17.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 139.20 |
| Elementary: | 1,776.57 |
| Secondary: | 890.95 |
| Total: | 2,823.72 |
Tucson Unified School District employed 157.60 district administrators and 183.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 157.60 |
| District Administrative Support: | 289.30 |
| School Administrators: | 183.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 215.30 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 918.06 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 14.90 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 111.31 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 71.52 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 39.79 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 19.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 884.16 |
| Other Support Services: | 668.02 |
Schools
Noteworthy events
2018: Teacher blacklist
In January 2018, the Arizona Daily Star reported that the district maintained a blacklist of 1,400 former employees, many of whom were teachers. Hank Stephenson, the journalist who broke the story, said that the district came to rely on long-term substitute teachers to fill positions since "it can’t attract or retain enough certified teachers." An audit ordered by newly-hired superintendent Gabriel Trujillo found that "500 or so employees deserved to be on the list; they had been fired for committing serious infractions, or resigned in lieu of being fired and signed paperwork stating they couldn’t work in the district again."[9]
2015: Recall attempt fails
A group called Parents for Ethics tried to recall board members Adelita Grijalva, Cam Juarez, and Kristel Foster in 2015. The group alleged that the board members had mismanaged district funds.[10] Organizers failed to collect enough signatures to get the recall on the ballot.[11]
Contact information
Tucson Unified School District
1010 E. Tenth St.
Tucson, AZ 85719
Phone: 520-225-6000
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 |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Tucson Unified School District
- Arizona School Boards Association
- Arizona Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ Tucson Unified School District, "Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo," accessed October 7, 2019
- ↑ Tucson Unified School District, "Governing Board," accessed March 22, 2021
- ↑ Tucson Unified School District, "Public Participation at Board Meetings," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ Tucson Unified School District, "Certified Pay Schedule," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ Tucson Unified School District, "Certified Pay Schedule," accessed February 4, 2024
- ↑ Tucson Unified School District, "Certified Pay Schedule," 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
- ↑ Columbia Journalism Review, "An Arizona school district kept a secret blacklist for decades. A reporter found it," January 23, 2018
- ↑ KOLD News 13, "Drive to recall three TUSD board members," July 25, 2015
- ↑ Tucson.com, "TUSD recall organizer fails to make filing deadline," November 19, 2015
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