A board member on the Tanque Verde Unified School District Governing Board has resigned, effective Dec. 13.

Carlos Ruiz was appointed to the board in 2012 and was reelected in 2016, according to a news release.

Ruiz was on the board during the opening of the district’s first high school, building a new middle school and hiring two superintendents.

β€œIt has been an honor to serve on the TVUSD Governing Board for the past seven years, and I believe we are well positioned to continue the excellence in the district,” Ruiz said in a statement.

The Pima County School Superintendent’s Office will choose someone to fill the vacancy. The governing board may submit up to three names for consideration within 30 days.

Qualified candidates interested in the position can also submit an application, which can be found at schools.pima.gov/elections. The deadline to apply is Jan. 13 by 5 p.m.

The appointee will serve through the end of 2020. This seat is up for reelection for a four-year term in the November 2020 general election.

Marana to serve free meals on winter break

The Marana Cares Mobile will be serving free meals to kids over winter break in two locations. Marana School District’s meal service will start Dec. 23 and run Monday through Friday during the two-week break except for on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The bus will be at the southeast corner of Sandario Road and Anthony Drive, next to the Marana Congregation of Jehovah’s Witness Church, from 11 a.m. to noon, and at 6560 W. El Tiro Road from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. each day. The mobile unit also has Wi-Fi and Chromebooks with programs to encourage literacy. The Marana Cares Mobile operates during school breaks and over the summer, serving over 10,000 meals since its inception in 2015, a news release said.

β€œNutrition and health are critical to a child’s ability to learn and be successful,” said Superintendent Doug Wilson. β€œThis service allows us to meet those needs during times when students are not at school so they are better prepared to return to school ready to learn.”

The Marana Cares Mobile is funded through private donations, corporate sponsorships, charitable foundations and the USDA Summer Food Service Program. For more information, go to maranausd.org/mcm.


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Contact reporter Danyelle Khmara at dkhmara@tucson.com or 573-4223. On Twitter: @DanyelleKhmara