Ray’s leadership team are, from left, Patty Edgemon, Dr. Jeremi Brewer and Melissa Huerta. Photo by Mila Besich
RUSD Superintendent Jeremi Brewer opened a work session meeting of the Ray Governing Board to a packed cafeteria of community members, parents, and students of the district. The work session was an informational session to give the board and the community a full explanation of the new changes being implemented at the Ray Schools. The new instructional model will be utilizing Khan Academy that is a Artificial Intelligence tool used across education systems to help students to attain the required skills, then followed by project-based learning to emphasize provide additional instruction to those basic skills.
Brewer also explained the attendance is down by 17% across the district which greatly impacts the school’s budget and currently the school district is not performing academically. He further explained the administration’s plan to increase the enrollment to 800 students and improve the academic attainment.
Discussion also followed on the pending reduction in force that the administration is proposing for the upcoming school year. He explained that at the time of the meeting he had already received about a dozen resignations and retirement notices from staff. The original discussion of RIF’s began at the board’s monthly meeting on March 20, 2025. Board minutes explain that “We will do everything we can to preserve every possible position that we have but the District will need to be prepared for consolidation and a reduction in force. He stated while our balance sheet may be healthy today, given Ray’s trend on student enrollment it might not be in the future”. During that meeting he also asked the board for a $2,500 budget for marketing. That budget was approved on a 3-2 vote. Board Vice President Tino Flores and board member Davila voted no on the budget. The board also voted to hire new pre-paid legal council with Udall and Shumway. This was also approved on 3-2 vote with Flores and Davila voting no on the changes. During the discussion on this Flores asked why the board needed to change the pre-paid legal services. According to the minutes Dr. Brewer replied, “Dave Pauole strongly recommended that given the needs of the district, that Udall and Shumway is just better equipped to help us with the changes the district is going through”. Flores explained that the district had been using Dave Pauole for many years.
The work session and special board meeting that was scheduled a week later on Thursday, March 27, began at 6 p.m. with the presentation and public questions, which lasted until 7:45 p.m. Initially, it was not planned to allow for public questions and only for the board to interact with the administration, but Board President Amanda Kenney allowed the questions from the public. Parents requesting to know more about how the curriculum delivery changes would affect graduation requirements and the college entry requirements. Some were concerned that it might be too much computer time.
The board agenda for a meeting start of 7 p.m. did not list all the employees that would be discussed; this meeting began at 7:45 p.m. and was adjourned at 8:03 p.m. Several employees that were notified that they were going to be discussed in the executive session posted on the agenda spoke about their concerns. It was not clear by their comments if they were notified 24 hours prior the start of the meeting, other than comments that they received their notice “last night”. Those speaking about being noticed they would be discussed in executive session were:
Lisa Warren who explained that she thought this was not going to be discussed until the April meeting and was not prepared to give a statement. She stated that she was onboard about the project-based learning but she asked if anyone saw a plan for a teacher in the plan. She explained that this plan is 100% Khan Academy. She also expressed that teachers have been demoralized and devalued and she would not be back next year.
Margie Casillas also spoke in the board meeting, another staff member who was noticed she would be discussed. “I want to mirror what Mrs. Warren is saying.” She further explained that she was injured in October and when she returned after six weeks, it was chaos. “I have felt demoralized and abused.” Casillas has been with the district for 26 years.
Valerie Kelley explained that she worked for the district for over 35 years. She shared that she has already notified the administration that she planned to retire in May and would notify them with an official resignation. She shared the chaos in the CTE department and that she has been fixing problems since December.
Matthew Flores, who was one of the teachers on the executive session list, opted not to speak but his wife Mrs. Boyd Flores interjected to the board that the Arizona Revised Statute notification about the executive session did not specify why they were being discussed. “For all we know, he is being promoted to a principal or being fired,” she exclaimed.
Dr. Brewer explained that having an executive session is the only way for the board to discuss staffing together as an elected body and he is required to let the staff that will be discussed know. After the staff that opted not to be discussed in executive session, the board voted unanimously not to enter into executive session (secret session) and table the discussion to a future meeting.
Since this public meeting, the RUSD has increased public outreach on the changes at the district giving further information on the new curriculum deployment. They have also scheduled additional public work sessions. Dr. Brewer encouraged everyone to with questions to contact him.
RUSD Governing Board meets on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m.