PIMA – On Thursday evening, the newly elected Pima Unified School District Board met in the district library, where they selected a new board president, heard reports from staff on the status of the district, and approved basic policy items for the new year.
Eric Burk Photo/Gila Valley Central: Veteran board member Shawn Wright was chosen to be the school board president.
Superintendent Sean Rickert swore in new members Clint Colvin, Melissa Batty, and J. J. Alder, who join re-elected board members Troy Thygerson and Shawn Wright. The new board then unanimously elected Wright to serve as board president for 2017. Although this is his first time serving as president, Wright has been on the board five years.
Wright wants to prioritize the betterment of education in Pima and improve the financial situation of the school. He said he is pleased with the outlook for the new year.
“We’re really on track at the Pima schools,” Wright said. “I think we’re doing well.”
While Wright described seeing strong progress in the district over his five years on the board, he acknowledged a constant need to work at attracting and retaining high-quality teachers while battling the perpetual financial challenges of public schools.
Many agenda items focused on operational details and financial decisions for 2017. Rickert was authorized to make many smaller decisions as needed between board meetings. The board also approved ongoing financial decisions and the selection of a new district auditing agency, Dobridge & Company P.C.
Future board meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the library.
