Heightened security is expected at the Peoria Unified School District governing board meeting, 6 p.m., May 11.
District officials said that in cooperation with the Glendale Police Department, the meeting will have additional safety precautions as greater attendance is anticipated.
Doors to the board room open at 5:45 p.m., but the lobby space will be closed to the public.
Signage will not be allowed on property. Officials ask attendees to be mindful that there will be limited capacity, and remind people that board meetings are streamed live, and recordings are available on the website here.
Those who wish to comment but not attend the meeting may contact district here.
Over the last few years, hot-button issues have taken center stage at Peoria school board meetings.
In June 2021, tempers flared among members of the public at a governing board meeting, after the meeting was nearly moved online due to increasing concern from school board members and local police that it could have been difficult to maintain the peace as the crowd became disruptive.
The heated audience was assuaged but a greater police presence has been common at meetings ever since.
For more than a couple years now, Peoria Unified school board meetings have been a hotbed of public comments regarding a number of issues ranging from masks on campus to critical race theory.
The current lightning rod is transgender students in district bathrooms and locker rooms.
Officials expect a bigger crowd at this school board meeting after the governing board April 27 denied a motion from board member Rebecca Hill to create a policy requiring bathrooms be gender binary, that is — either male or female.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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