Natalie Luna Rose, Sadie Shaw and Ravi Grivois-Shah are leading the race to win seats to the TUSD Governing Board, beating out four other candidates.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Pima County still had thousands of votes to count.
The Governing Board for Southern Arizonaâs largest school district, Tucson Unified, makes decisions that control a $500 million budget and affects the lives of about 42,500 children and their families.
The three newcomers, to be seated in January for the volunteer positions on the five-person board, will be responsible for seeing the district through educating students during the COVID-19 pandemic, an enrollment loss upwards of 2,500 students, a possible $15 million budget shortfall, a continuing statewide teacher shortage and TUSDâs ongoing desegregation order, already in place for more than 40 years.
Board President Kristel Foster and board members Rachael Sedgwick and Bruce Burke all declined to run for reelection, leaving three seats open. Luna Rose, Shaw and Grivois-Shah would join board members Adelita Grijalva and Leila Counts.
Luna Rose, who got more votes than any other candidate, is a TUSD parent and founding member of Tucson Unified Parent Advocacy Council.
She works as community and outreach manager at the Arizona Center for Disability Law. She has been doing grassroots organizing for almost 20 years, participating in the public process at all levels.
Luna Rose says her win signals a change for the community, âas we now have the most diverse group of school board members to ever truly represent the district.â
âCome January, the Governing Board will face some intense challenges with the budget, declining enrollment and an infrastructure that needs massive repair, not to mention issues surrounding COVID-19,â she said. âThe work will begin on Day 1. We have a lot of work ahead of us but I am ready to fight hard for Tucson families and help shape TUSDâs future.â
In our most unique candidate session of the 2020 election season, candidates for one of three vacant seats on the Tucson Unified School Distri…
Shaw is an artist, art educator and community advocate. She volunteers in TUSD schools, currently as part of an art program at Catalina High School.
She serves on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee for both the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona as well as the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson, where she is the education program co-chair.
âThis win is for Sugar Hill and all the neighborhood schools that got closed down,â Shaw said in a post on Facebook. âThis win is for the students who underperform and the parents who feel powerless. This win is for the employees that dedicate their lives to the district but arenât paid a living wage. This win is for my daughter and everyone at Manzo Elementary. Weâve got a lot of work ahead of us to improve the conditions in TUSD but Iâm excited for the challenge and humbled by the opportunity.â
Grivois-Shah is a TUSD parent and involved member of the Tucson Unified community. He is a parent member of the TUSD Audit Committee, and last year he served on the districtâs Family Life Curriculum Committee to revise the sex education curricula.
He has been a family physician for the last 15 years, and he recently became CEO of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation.
âIâm honored and grateful that the TUSD community voted to put their trust in a physician and parent who will put the needs of Tucson students and families first,â Grivois-Shah said in a prepared statement.
âVoters responded to our positive message that focused on ensuring a sound response to the COVID pandemic in our schools, financial sustainability and accountability, and addressing disparities and inequities throughout TUSD. We have a clear mandate to meet these expectations.â
The three winners are projected to beat candidates Adam Ragan, Cindy Winston, Nick Pierson and write in candidate Cristina Mennella.
OTHER TUCSON SCHOOL BOARD RACES
âĸ Amphitheater School District Governing Board members Scott Baker, Deanna M. Day and Vicki Cox Golder were on track for reelection as of Wednesday, defeating newcomer Nathan Davis, an educator.
âĸ Vail board members Callie Tippett and Allison Pratt and newcomer Chris King were on track for election as of Wednesday to the Vail Unified School District Governing Board, leading over newcomer Andre Mixon.
âĸ Sunnyside School District Governing Board member Rebecca âBekiâ Quintero won reelection alongside two new candidates, Matthew Taylor and Lisette NuÃąez. While a fourth candidate, Joaquin NuÃąez, came in third place, he had already withdrawn his candidacy.
The Tucson Unified School District Food Services Department has continued to provide services for students and families throughout the Coronav…
