Apache Junction district superintendent receives 3-year extension
The Apache Junction Unified School District Governing Board voted 4-1 June 11 to approve the agreement. The vote — with Bobby Bauders dissenting — followed a closed-door executive session.
The employment agreement with Robert Pappalardo, Apache Junction Unified School District’s superintendent since July 1, 2023, has been extended to June 2027, the school board decided recently.
The AJUSD Governing Board voted 4-1 June 11 to approve the agreement. The vote — with Bobby Bauders dissenting — followed a closed-door executive session for discussion or consultation for legal advice with the board’s attorney regarding the superintendent employment agreement and related matters and to consider its position and instruct its attorney regarding the superintendent employment agreement that may be the subject of future negotiation and related matters, according to the agenda.
Board Vice President Gil Cancio made the motion to approve the extension. Board members made no comments before they voted.
Pappalardo was principal at the sixth- through eighth-grade Desert Shadows Middle School in AJUSD, working there from 1998 to 2007; the school has since been closed.
Prior to starting as AJUSD superintendent, he worked in the Apache Junction, Florence, Queen Creek and Laveen school districts.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
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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