By Tom Blodgett
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Twitter: @sp_blodgett

Two appointed incumbents have opted to not run for re-election to Gilbert-area school boards.

Higley USD governing board Vice President Jill Wilson and Gilbert Public Schools governing board Member Bill Parker are not among the candidates who filed signatures to qualify for the November ballot, though both had previously filed statements of interest in running.

Wilson was appointed to her seat in lieu of an election in 2018 when no opposition materialized. She was a longtime district volunteer at that point who regularly attended board meetings.

“It’s time,” Wilson said about stepping away from the board.

However, she indicated she plans to resume attending board meetings from a seat in the audience.

Parker was sworn into a seat Aug. 6, 2021, replacing Reed Carr, who resigned his seat effective June 30 that year.

Because of the timing of Parker’s appointment, the last two years of Carr’s term were to be filled by election this November.

In addition to Wilson and Parker, Higley USD President Amy Kaylor, GPS Board Member Charles Santa Cruz and Chandler USD Board Member Lindsay Love previously had decided not to rerun.

GPS Board Member Jill Humpherys and Chandler USD Board Member Lara Bruner are the only incumbents running for re-election among the three governing boards of districts that serve Gilbert.

The candidates in the three districts are:

Gilbert Public Schools

Four-year seats (2)

• Collette Evans
• Jill Humpherys
• Trina Jonas
• Chad Thompson

Two-year seat (1)

• Jesse Brainard
• Ronda Page

Higley USD (2 seats)

• Brooke Garrett
• Robert Lilienthal
• Roy Morales
• Anna Van Hoek
• Curt Vurpillat
• Amanda Wade

Chandler USD (2 seats)

• Lara Bruner
• Marilou Estes
• Charlotte Golla
• Kurt Rohrs
• Patti Serrano

Voting will be Nov. 8.

Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert
@sp_blodgett

tblodgett@iniusa.org

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).