$200K awarded to Apache Junction school district for robotics program
Thana Prasongsin, Metro Creative
The budget includes $70,000 for supplies and materials, $120,000 for purchasing services and consultant fees, and $10,000 for competition and event registration fees.
The Arizona Department of Education is giving $200,000 to the Apache Junction Unified School District for its robotics program.
The AJUSD governing board voted unanimously Feb. 24 to approve an intergovernmental agreement for the onetime funding.
“(L)egislators at the state get discretionary funding that they can use however they want to for their district, so that $200,000 is one-time discretionary funding that Rep. (Walt) Blackman had that he’s giving to us — a portion of whatever he got — for the robotics program,” AJUSD Superintendent Robert Pappalardo told the board.
The agreement is effective from upon execution through Dec. 31, 2026, and can be renewed, it states.
Michael Wilson of GenTech Support sought the funding for AJUSD, it states in an interagency service agreement budget sheet.
The budget includes $70,000 for supplies and materials, $120,000 for purchasing services and consultant fees, and $10,000 for competition and event registration fees, it states.
The funding from ADE to GenTech will expand the district’s robotics program already in place, Meara Verna, AJUSD’s executive director of educational services, told the board.
“We have the opportunity with ADE for a robotics program through the district. We are basically partnering with GenTech again to offer these services and expand the program that we have already currently with them at the elementary and junior high going up into the high school as well, after-school program, summer programs. We’re going to work with them to get as much of the STEM education — especially robotics — into their hands,” she said.
“Sounds wonderful,” Board member Gail Ross said.
AJUSD has three elementary schools; a K-5 school designed to provide students with a traditional, liberal arts education; a junior high school; and a high school. The district boundaries run from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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