Six people on ballot for Higley USD board seats

The Higley Unified School District has six people running for its three board seats this November.

The list includes one incumbent, Tiffany Shultz, who survived a challenge to her nominating petitions and remains on the ballot. President Michelle Anderson and Board Member Kristina Reese chose not to run for reelection.. Reese had served three terms.

Here is biographical information provided by the candidates.

Taylor Francis

Courtesy Taylor Francis

Taylor Francis 

Taylor Francis has worked in the aviation safety industry for more than 13 years, starting in the San Francisco area before moving to the Valley in 2015.  

Francis studied biophysics and graduated with a bachelor of science, with minors in logic and philosophy. Taylor has a passion for learning and has taken a variety of classes in his adult years, including courses from MIT, Harvard, University of Arizona, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute in Russia and Princeton University.  

Francis and his wife have been married for more than 10 years and have two children, both of whom attend Higley schools. Their family has been in Arizona for six generations with more than 30 years in Gilbert; Francis, his wife, and their kids have lived in the Higley school district for three years. 

Fun fact: Francis speaks fluent Spanish, taught himself French and is learning Italian, Russian and German.  

Marc Garcia

Courtesy Marc Garcia

Marc Garcia 

Marc Garcia is an Arizona native and U.S. Air Force veteran with 20 years of service. 

After retiring from the Air Force, Garcia transitioned to the financial industry, where he specializes in teaching financial literacy and helping families secure their financial futures. 

Garcia is involved in the veteran community and local areas, actively serving as a member of the American Legion and contributing as a board member of his HOA. 

Garcia and his wife have lived in the Higley Unified School District for four years, with three of their children attending HUSD schools — one who has graduated and two enrolled.   

Scott Glover

Courtesy Scott Glover

Scott Glover 

Scott Glover is a teacher in Gilbert Public Schools, where he has worked for most of his career.  He has been teaching in the East Valley since 1996 and has been a teacher for almost 30 years.  

Glover is married to a fellow educator/master teacher. Between them they have spent almost 60 dedicated to public education, most of it in the East Valley. They have two adult sons, one of whom is studying to become a teacher. 

Glover served on the HUSD board from 2017-2021. 

Glover has taught everything from kindergarten to high school and worked in administration during his education career. 

Fun fact: In 2015 Glover was the recipient of Gilbert Public Schools’ first Innovator Award for creating and developing a Summer Teaching Institute that honored and trained 400 teachers.   

Sara Jarman

Courtesy Sara Jarman

Sara Jarman 

Sara Jarman has been a resident of the Higley Unified School District for more than 12 years. As a married mother of five, entrepreneur and community leader, Jarman is  experienced in budgeting, property management, holistic healthcare and community service.  

Growing up in a large household, Jarman learned the importance of education and hard work from her healthcare-minded parents. Her journey in the field of education began as a special education teaching assistant during college, where she developed a passion for supporting diverse learning needs. She earned her applied science degree from Utah Tech, which laid the foundation for her holistic healthcare career.  

For over a decade, Jarman has been a certified foot zone therapist, integrating holistic practices into her work as a healthcare practitioner and instructor. Her entrepreneurial spirit has driven her to explore various avenues, including business and property management, and she serves as the secretary for a local HOA co-op.   

In addition to her professional pursuits, Jarman cherishes spending time outdoors and creating memories with her family.  

Kathleen Richards

Courtesy Kathleen Richards

Kathleen Richards 

Kathleen Richards has been a Gilbert resident and HUSD parent since 2016. She and her husband of 19 years have two daughters, ages 12 and 9, who have attended HUSD schools since their early childhood education started.  

Richards holds a Bachelor of Music from The Catholic University of America and is an ASU Gammage Teaching Artist trained in The Kennedy Center Arts Integration Method. Over her 20-plus year career, Richards has worked as an arts educator in and out of schools (K-12 and collegiate levels), a performing artist, a nonprofit fundraiser and development director, a grants administrator and program manager and a software sales engineer.     

Richards is an active HUSD volunteer, a substitute teacher in the Valley through ESI and teaches private voice and acting lessons. Additionally, she has participated in various HUSD surveys, focus groups and most recently a citizens committee focused on assessing district needs and the possibility of placing a bond and override on the district ballot in November.   

As she has watched HUSD grow, she has been an active participant in board meetings as a concerned citizen and has engaged with administration regarding concerns and successes both at a school and district level.  

Fun fact: Richards taught Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky at her school in Maryland. 

Tiffany Shultz

Courtesy Tiffany Shultz

Tiffany Shultz 

Tiffany Shultz has lived in Gilbert since 2007. She is a small business owner, a wife to a Tempe Fire Department captain and mother of two Higley students. Her agency, Levitate, produces a variety of successful festivals, including including Sweets Festival, Bacon, Blues & Brews and Vintage & Vino.

She recently opened Sip & Shop, A Local Collection, which carries Arizona products at the Verde at Cooley Station development.  

Shultz grew up in Arizona and has a background in journalism, public relations, event production and earned a bachelor’s degree from ASU. She was selected in a local media outlet’s “35 under 35” and volunteers at her children’s school, charities and community organizations.

She is a member of Gilbert Leadership’s Class 20 and serves as a member of the  Gilbert Leadership Board for the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce.