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Hello Mesa Public Schools community,

We celebrated our 100th day of school this week! Enrollment and registration are open and I encourage you to ensure your child is enrolled for the 2025-26 school year. For students that are currently enrolled, please login to your ParentVue portal to re-enroll your child for next school year.

If you have students who will be new to MPS, we are so proud of the many choices parents have throughout our district (Montessori, Dual Language, Franklin Accelerated, International Baccalaureate, Science Technology Engineering and Math, Agriscience, Homeschool Enrichment). Visit mpsaz.org/enroll to ensure your child is registered for the 2025-26 school year.

All of our schools are offering tours for you to find out what’s inside their campus. Schedule a tour at mpsaz.org/tours. Be sure to mark your calendar for Feb. 26 for our first School Choice Fair at Mountain View High School.

There has been a lot of news and social media posts about our district in the last few weeks, especially regarding budget, staffing, immigration and elementary specials. Please keep reading for factual information and impact to our three focus areas: organizational and operational efficiency, academic and instructional development and community engagement and safety.

Organizational and Operational Efficiency

On Jan. 13, I had to share difficult news regarding next year’s budget with our staff. In Arizona, our funding is determined by the number of students enrolled. Fewer students mean less funding. Next year, we are estimating 1,800 fewer students in our district. This decline in student enrollment, coupled with rising operational costs and a decrease of federal and state funding, requires us to make difficult decisions to reduce expenses for the 2025-26 school year.

Nearly 90% of our expenses are dedicated to paying our talented and hardworking staff. Because of this, we must make the heartbreaking decision to eliminate some positions throughout the district for the 2025-26 school year. Staff will be informed of impacts by Feb. 7.

Next year’s enrollment, budget and staffing was discussed at a Governing Board study session on Jan. 14. And, a follow up will occur at the Jan. 28 Governing Board meeting.

What this looks like in action:

Staffing ratios for classrooms will remain the same for the 2025-26 school year
Impacted staff will have the opportunity to apply for vacant positions in the District
Human Resources will provide resources and tools such as resume writing and mock interviews

Academic and Instructional Development

In order to increase student proficiency and growth in Math and English Language Arts (ELA) as outlined in the Governing Board goals, we need to maximize uninterrupted instructional time in these areas. This has prompted us to examine how we schedule special areas in our elementary schools. Currently, many 4-6th graders are pulled out of classroom instruction to attend band or orchestra. We began discussing a new model that maintains arts, music, PE and media resource center (library) in our K-6 schools with our Governing Board at the Jan. 14 meeting.

There have been rumors going around that Mesa Public Schools is "getting rid" of music. This is NOT true. More to come on this topic.

Three semifinalists for Flinn Scholarship

Congratulations to our Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists: Alexis Kelley (Red Mountain), Rafe Orr (Mountain View), and Sophia Birkholz (Red Mountain)! They’re among 78 Arizona seniors competing for one of the state’s most prestigious scholarships. Valued at over $135,000, the Flinn Scholarship covers tuition, housing, meals, and study abroad opportunities at Arizona’s public universities. The final 20 Flinn Scholars will be announced in late April and will begin their journeys at ASU, NAU, or UofA this fall. Best of luck to Alexis, Rafe, and Sophia!

We also want to give a congratulations to the Mountain View Jazz team on securing the AIA Large Jazz Open State Championship this past Saturday!

Community Engagement and Safety

There has been a lot of information regarding immigration in the news, particularly in light of the Department of Homeland Security’s January 21, 2025 repeal of its 2021 guidance instructing officers to refrain from taking enforcement actions at or near schools. I want you to know Mesa Public Schools remains committed to offering an equal educational opportunity to all students.

Our schools are caring and safe places that welcome all learners. We do not require proof of immigration status as part of our enrollment process and we fully comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which requires us to maintain the confidentiality of all personally identifiable information in education records related to students. We will not disclose your child’s information, even to law enforcement officials, without your prior written consent, unless compelled to do so by a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena. In these circumstances, you will be informed immediately, unless we are legally prohibited from doing so.

You can count on us to provide safe and caring learning environments where every student is known by name, served by strength and need so they graduate ready for college, career and community.

January is School Board Appreciation Month! As we join school districts nationwide in expressing gratitude, we extend a special note of appreciation to our five board members. Their commitment, demonstrated through countless unpaid hours, greatly benefits Mesa Public Schools, our students, and the entire community.

At the Jan. 14 board meeting, Courtney Davis was elected Board President and Lacy Chaffee was named Board Clerk. Congratulations to both!

Looking for new ways to engage in your children's education? Discover valuable resources to support parents and families in our district, including Parent University workshops and adult education opportunities designed to empower and engage our community. Explore these programs and more on the Parent Resources page.

Question of the Month

After taking a pause in December, we are back with our Question of the Month! This month, we are reaching out about our discipline matrix. In 2023, the District updated the Student Code of Conduct and Discipline Matrix found in the MPS Student Handbook to improve consistency and clarity of discipline practices. The matrix provides guidelines for addressing student behavior and identifies a range of consequences associated with behaviors at each level.

We are seeking your feedback as teachers, parents, and community members to understand your perspective and experiences. Your thoughts can help us better understand how discipline practices are communicated and perceived, as well as their effectiveness. Please take a moment to complete the short survey.