The Higley Unified School District governing board condemned the outbreak of youth violence in the community at its Jan. 18 meeting and wants to hear more about one community member’s plan to combat it.
The administration and outgoing President Tiffany Shultz issued statements that were read during the meeting, and Shultz used her position as a means of getting the topic on the meeting agenda so the board could hold a discussion.
The community was rocked by the Oct. 30 death of Combs High School student Preston Lord, two days after he was severely beaten at a house party in Queen Creek. This occurred along with a string of assaults in Gilbert and other nearby communities.
Though Combs is not in the Higley district, board members noted some district students could have been at the house party or at least affected by the news as it spread.
“I have been very vocal with cabinet over the past few weeks of my desire to make sure Higley is a part of the community speaking out against teen violence and that we make sure parents, our surrounding districts, and our community as a whole, know that we are here to support them and to be a part of the solution,” said Shultz, who was wearing an orange ribbon in support of Justice 4 Preston Lord. “I am hopeful that we can discuss this as a board and look at ways for Higley to be a part of the solution.”
Interim Superintendent Sherry Richards, reading the administration’s statement, pointed to several district programs that promote character development and values in students.
“We are reflecting on our own programs, recognize the importance of continuous improvement, and we are open to collaborate in community initiatives that may come from current conversations,” she said. “As always, we will continue to support our students, our families, and prioritize a well-rounded education for all students in Higley Unified School District.”
Shultz said she had an excerpt of Queen Creek resident Katey McPherson’s proposed Upstander program and asked for board input on it. Shultz praised McPherson, a childhood advocate and education consultant who has been a partner to the Lord family since Preston’s death, as a champion of the community’s youth.
Board members generally expressed a willingness to hear more about what McPherson is proposing to see if it fit with what the district already does or can add to it.
The one partial exception was Board Member Anna Van Hoek, who frequently has expressed opposition to social emotional learning programs.
“The focus should be on ensuring that our existing bullying and student discipline policies are well communicated to staff,” she said. “By doing so, we can demonstrate to our community our commitment to supporting our teachers and staff in enforcing these policies effectively. Introducing another program that diverts time and resources away from academics is not something we can afford to do with our declining academics.”
Van Hoek said much of what needs to be addressed should be done in students’ homes, a notion also agreed upon by other board members. Van Hoek also endorsed coming work of the Gilbert Town Council’s Teen Violence Subcommittee, which she said she been asked to join.
However, Board Member Kristina Reese was more open to the Upstander program and expressed hope the district would get more involved in community discussions again, which she said it has gotten away from since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I would like to get more information on the Upstander initiative and look at it, see what it is,” she said. “Is it something that needs to be discussed that would be introduced into our classrooms or is it a program to the point just like one that we can help host community meetings? I would like to see our district — and this is something as we look for a new superintendent — our district used to be really involved with this. We used to meet annually with town council as a district, and not just town council but also Gilbert Police. We would also meet with Gilbert Fire.”
We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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