Those who frequently attend or view Peoria Unified School District governing board meetings may have recently noticed something amiss.
Everyone has a new seat on dais. Some just have new seats elsewhere.
Per a request from board President Heather Rooks, the superintendent, who usually sits to the far left has been moved from the dais to the table where administrators sit. The president’s chair moved from the center to the far left, where the superintendent once sat.
The change occurred for the May 29 public governing board meeting.
The board meeting seating arrangement has not changed for years, but the board has now broken from a long-time tradition in which the district’s top employee has had a seat along side the five governing board members.
Rooks has not shared the reasoning behind her request to change the make-up at the dais. At the meeting, there was no mention of the change and she has not responded to inquiries from Peoria Independent.
As far as the superintendent having a seat at the dais, it is not an uncommon arrangement. At most of PUSD’s surrounding districts, the superintendent has a seat alongside the board members.
Scottsdale, Chandler and Gilbert Unified have the same arrangement.
However, the Higley Unified School District places their superintendent with their other top administrators off to the side.
Peoria Independent reached out to all governing board members about the change, as well as two former governing board members. One responded to questions about the new seating arrangement.
She said that a high-functioning board thrives on clarity, collaboration, public trust, and the way board members and the board president are seated on the dais plays an unspoken, but essential role in achieving that, she said.
Seating is not about power — it’s about purpose, Ewing said.
“Just as teachers design classroom seating to support learning, boards must be intentional in shaping a physical space that supports effective governance. When form follows function, the board models professionalism, fairness, and order — core values every school system should reflect,” she said. “The board president has the authority to change the seating arrangement, along with the organization of the agenda and those should reflect key school board values.”
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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