Peoria Unified School District Superintendent Jason Reynolds has tendered his resignation, effective June 30.
The announcement comes amid a period of turmoil within the district that has been ongoing since he first took the post, starting with the rise of the pandemic in 2020, when some parents raged against the district’s decision to require face masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
In a letter to Peoria Unified staff and families, he said at that time, people came together as a community to navigate a global pandemic by providing continuous learning opportunities to PUSD students.
“We worked as a team to ensure that our community had the resources to be successful as they dealt with hardship,” he said. “We were one of the first school districts in Arizona to welcome students and staff back to in-person learning, ensuring that everyone had a safe and caring environment to come to each day.”
The resignation falls on the heels of other high level employees leaving, most recently Chief Student Services Officer Carter Davidson, who will start in his new position as Litchfield Elementary School District Superintendent July 1.
Since Reynolds' appointment, the district has been ground zero for a culture war consisting of numerous heated battles, ranging from critical race theory to transgender students in district bathrooms, which continues to this day.
Reynolds’ first official day on the job was July 1, 2020.
In the letter, he assured the governing board he is committed to working alongside them to ensure a smooth transition to new leadership, and is confident the board will be able to find a highly qualified and talented educator who will lead for years to come.
The governing board will meet in executive session regarding the resignation on May 22, and officials said staff will soon schedule meetings to discuss and appoint an interim superintendent.
Reynolds said he is most proud of the relationships he has been blessed to build during his time as superintendent, and added he will miss it more than words can express.
“It is bittersweet as I think of the school visits celebrating the amazing things our students are doing every day in classrooms across this district. As a public school teacher, our young people are the number one reason I have come to work for the past 30 years, ready to roll up my sleeves and work every day to guarantee that every child is known, valued, cared for, and challenged,” he stated in the letter. “It is also the relationships that I have built with our teachers, staff, administrators, and our community. The people I have known here are some of the most passionate and dedicated educators I have ever worked with and are committed to the success of our students.”
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
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.
Peoria Unified School District,
Arizona,
Superintendent Jason Reynolds,
resignation,
Chief Student Services Officer Carter Davidson,
Litchfield Elementary School District,
culture war,
pandemic,
transgender
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