Sunnyside Unified School District, Arizona

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Sunnyside Unified School District
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Tucson, Arizona
District details
Superintendent: Jose Gastelum
# of school board members: 5
Website: Link

Sunnyside Unified School District is a school district in Arizona.

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Superintendent

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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Jose Gastelum is the superintendent of the Sunnyside Unified School District. Gastelum was appointed superintendent in July 2022. Gastelum's previous career experience includes working as the district's chief student services officer.

[1]

Past superintendents

  • Steve Holmes was the superintendent of the Sunnyside Unified School District from March 26, 2015 until July 2022. Holmes' previous career experience includes working as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction of the Tucson Unified School District.[2]
  • Eugenia Favela was the interim superintendent of the Sunnyside Unified School District from 2014 to 2015.[2] Favela's previous career experience included working as the district's assistant superintendent.[3]
  • Manuel Isquierdo was the superintendent of the Sunnyside Unified School District from 2007 to 2014.[3][4]

School board

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


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This officeholder information was last updated on August 15, 2024. Please contact us with any updates.
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Elections

See also: Sunnyside Unified School District elections in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024

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

Three seats on the Sunnyside Unified School District school board in Arizona were scheduled for general election on November 5, 2024. The election was canceled due to a lack of opposition. The filing deadline for this election was July 8, 2024.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Sunnyside Unified 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]


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: $28,855,000 $1,947 20%
Local: $35,353,000 $2,385 25%
State: $77,444,000 $5,225 55%
Total: $141,652,000 $9,558
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $129,028,000 $8,635
Total Current Expenditures: $115,751,000 $7,746
Instructional Expenditures: $64,231,000 $4,298 50%
Student and Staff Support: $19,460,000 $1,302 15%
Administration: $12,109,000 $810 9%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $19,951,000 $1,335 15%
Total Capital Outlay: $6,030,000 $403
Construction: $2,456,000 $164
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $900,000 $60
Interest on Debt: $6,192,000 $414


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
2023-2024[9] $47,000 $81,400
2020-2021[10] $38,831 $75,702

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 9 30-39 6-9 9 <=5 10-14 15-19
2018-2019 30 30-39 25-29 30 20-24 30-34 40
2017-2018 29 50-59 15-19 29 15-19 20-29 39
2016-2017 27 50-59 25-29 27 15-19 31
2015-2016 23 50-59 20-24 23 14 26
2014-2015 19 50-59 15-19 19 12 26
2013-2014 43 70-79 35-39 43 31 55
2012-2013 45 70-79 35-39 45 36 57
2011-2012 48 70-79 40-44 48 42 62
2010-2011 50 70-79 45-49 49 40 61

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 15-19 15 6-9 20-24 25-29
2018-2019 29 40-49 25-29 29 20-24 35-39 40
2017-2018 26 40-49 20-24 26 20-24 20-29 37
2016-2017 25 50-59 20-24 25 15-19 34
2015-2016 25 60-69 20-24 24 17 35
2014-2015 19 30-39 15-19 18 13 31
2013-2014 67 80-89 65-69 67 59 75
2012-2013 67 80-89 65-69 67 55 73
2011-2012 67 80-89 60-64 67 57 79
2010-2011 68 >=90 60-64 68 60 78

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 71 PS 70-79 72 40-59 >=50 60-69
2018-2019 80 >=50 >=80 80 70-79 PS 60-69
2017-2018 78 >=50 60-79 79 60-79 PS 70-79
2016-2017 76 >=50 60-79 78 40-59 70-79
2015-2016 72 >=50 80-89 72 60-69 60-69
2014-2015 71 >=50 60-79 71 70-79 70-79
2013-2014 70 PS 50-59 70 70-79 70-79
2012-2013 70 PS 60-79 70 60-69 60-69
2011-2012 73 >=50 60-79 73 70-79 60-69
2010-2011 72 >=50 60-79 72 60-79 70-79


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 14,541 -0.2
2021-2022 14,569 -2.6
2020-2021 14,942 -4.5
2019-2020 15,610 -3.5
2018-2019 16,154 3.4
2017-2018 15,604 -3.6
2016-2017 16,168 1.3
2015-2016 15,962 -7.6
2014-2015 17,168 -3.1
2013-2014 17,697 1.3
2012-2013 17,470 -0.8
2011-2012 17,615 1.7
2010-2011 17,323 -1.0
2009-2010 17,497 -1.8
2008-2009 17,813 0.2
2007-2008 17,785 1.7
2006-2007 17,476 4.5
2005-2006 16,697 1.0
2004-2005 16,524 4.0
2003-2004 15,861 1.6
2002-2003 15,602 4.3
2001-2002 14,930 2.8
2000-2001 14,518 2.1
1999-2000 14,214 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Sunnyside Unified School District (%) Arizona K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 2.8 4.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 0.4 3.1
Black 2.6 5.7
Hispanic 89.7 47.6
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.0 0.4
Two or More Races 1.2 4.2
White 3.2 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, Sunnyside Unified School District had 741.01 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 19.62.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 11.00
Kindergarten: 40.00
Elementary: 473.49
Secondary: 216.52
Total: 741.01

Sunnyside Unified School District employed 26.48 district administrators and 36.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 26.48
District Administrative Support: 73.98
School Administrators: 36.00
School Administrative Support: 74.00
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 201.39
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 25.80
Total Guidance Counselors: 34.80
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 21.80
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 13.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 18.50
Library/Media Support: 0.00
Student Support Services: 174.95
Other Support Services: 261.49


Schools

The Sunnyside Unified School District operates 22 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Apollo Middle School5376-8
Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School4285-8
Challenger Middle School6546-8
Craycroft Elementary School590PK-5
Desert View High School2,1699-12
Drexel Elementary School487PK-6
Elvira Elementary School695KG-6
Esperanza Elementary School494KG-6
Gallego Intermediate Fine Arts Magnet School8384-8
Gallego Primary Fine Arts Magnet544KG-3
Liberty Elementary School511KG-6
Los Amigos Elementary School621KG-6
Los Ninos Elementary School411PK-6
Mission Manor Elementary School499PK-6
Ocotillo Early Learning Elementary School378PK-2
Rivera Elementary440KG-6
Santa Clara Elementary School456KG-6
Sierra 2-8 School7942-8
Star Academic High School2806-12
Summit View Elementary404KG-6
Sunnyside High School2,2049-12
Sunnyside Online Success Academy107KG-12

Noteworthy events

2014: Recall effort by Sunnyside Recall

See also: Bobby Garcia and Louie Gonzales recall, Sunnyside Unified School District, Arizona (2014)

Board members Bobby Garcia and Louie Gonzales were recalled in an election on May 20, 2014. A group of residents called Sunnyside Recall 2013 organized the recall effort in response to Garcia and Gonzales' support for Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo.

Isquierdo received criticism for various alleged personal actions, including using bankruptcy to avoid foreclosure on his home, owing $150,000 in back taxes, having his driver's license suspended for failing to pay fines, using his district credit card for questionable purchases, and using athletes in the district's effort to promote the passage of school bond measures.

Board members Buck Crouch and Daniel Hernandez, Jr. opposed Isquierdo. A recall effort against Crouch and Hernandez began in August 2013, but did not move forward after supporters declined to turn in signatures.[12][13]

Contact information

Sunnyside USD logo.jpg
Sunnyside Unified School District
2238 E. Ginter Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85706
Phone: 520-545-2000


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

Footnotes

  1. Tucson Sentinel, "Sunnyside names Jose Gastelum as school district sup't, replacing Steve Holmes," June 15, 2022
  2. 2.0 2.1 Tucson.com, "Holmes named Sunnyside School District superintendent," March 27, 2015
  3. 3.0 3.1 KOLD News 13, "New Sunnyside board sworn in, appoints interim Superintendent," June 4, 2014
  4. This is Tucson, "Sunnyside schools chief Isquierdo will lead San Antonio district," April 6, 2013
  5. Sunnyside Unified School District, "Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board," accessed March 17, 2021
  6. Arizona School Boards Association, "Sunnyside Unified School District No. 12 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. Sunnyside Unified School District, "SUNNYSIDE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 12 2023-24 CERTIFIED SALARY SCHEDULE," accessed February 6, 2024
  10. Sunnyside Unified School District, "SUNNYSIDE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE 2020-21," accessed May 18, 2021
  11. 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
  12. Tucson.com, "Details for Sunnyside recall election set," January 11, 2014
  13. Tucson.com, "Second Sunnyside recall launched," August 20, 2013