The Kyrene Elementary School District Governing Board has two seats up for election with Trine Nelson not running for reelection. Five candidates are seeking to fill two positions with one incumbent in the race.
Peters grew up going to school in the Kyrene district and now has two children also in the district. Her priorities for the district include increasing enrollment and helping families transition following the closure of six schools. She wants the board to have increased parent representation and to market Kyrene Schools to more families.
Sparkes is a father of two students in the district and is committed to the stewardship of the district for the long term. His plan for Kyrene includes expanding the connections between the board and the Parent Teacher Organizations as well as marketing the Kyrene Schools to increase enrollment. He lives in Ahwatukee with his wife and daughters.
Wallstrom is a father to three Kyrene students and is a physical therapist in Tempe. On his website, he says that he is running because of the shared frustration that many parents have shared over the closure of schools.
Walsh is a lawyer and served as president for the school board for six years. In 2026 he stepped aside and nominated current president Trine Nelson. Walsh first ran for the board in 2018 and won and then won again in 2022. During meetings, he will frequently comment about his disagreements with the state Legislature regarding public schools in Arizona. He and his wife live in Tempe with their children, a mix of current and future Kyrene students.
Gaining over 1,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot, Zyriek has also gained the support of several of the Tempe council members like Mayor Corey Woods and Vice Mayor Arlene Chin. Zyriek grew up in Tempe and went to Kyrene’s C.I. Waggoner Elementary. He worked in politics before returning to Tempe to live and work in the area at Salt River Project. He has been passionate about Kyrene’s future, especially after the board voted to close six schools.
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Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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