New board member for Peoria schools, after departure of leader opposed by union

The Peoria Unified School District has a new governing board member, Becky Proudfit, a parent to two children in the district.

She said she hopes to help unify the board, which in recent months has been divided over issues related to transgender students' access to facilities and diversity, equity and inclusion.

"What I think I do best is I help to build bridges," Proudfit said. "I’m really good at unifying people, at finding common ground, which was something I felt could potentially be of service to a board that was kind of at a point where it was extremely divided."

She wants to help build those bridges not just within the board but also with teachers and administration, she said.

Proudfit was appointed by Maricopa County School Superintendent Steve Watson to fill the vacancy left by former board member Rebecca Hill, who resigned in August to move out of state to be closer to family.

Hill's departure was celebrated by the Peoria Education Association, the union representing educators in the district. In response to her resignation, the group wrote that more than 400 Peoria educators had signed a letter in May calling for Hill's resignation and that she "showed complete disregard for her responsibilities and her oath of office as an elected school board member."

During her time on the board, Hill, along with board member Heather Rooks, received opposition for quoting Bible verses during board meetings and pushed for a policy restricting transgender students' access to bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. The board voted 3-2 against drafting such a policy in April. In July, she and Rooks voted against a free computer science training program from Microsoft for three of the district’s schools because of a statement on the program’s website that expressed a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Proudfit will serve until Dec. 31, 2024, the remainder of Hill's term.

Proudfit said she has volunteered at her kids' schools and was looking for ways to get more involved. As a board member, she wants to help parents find meaningful ways to share concerns and be engaged, she said.

"I want parents to feel valued," she said. "I want them to feel like their voices are being heard, that everyone is being represented equally, and that anyone who has something to say ... has a place to do that."

In her application, Proudfit wrote that she is "committed to upholding the values of integrity, excellence, equity, and collaboration" on the governing board.

She wrote that coming onto the board with an agenda "is not productive or helpful," but added that her focus would be on "board cohesion and balance," improving public perception, and providing "specific ways for parents to educate themselves on the current issues actively being brought before the board and ways to productively participate in solution brainstorming so that misinformation and frustration doesn't negatively impact our district."

"The Board's role is to consider the diverse needs of every student and family, necessitating an unbiased and moderate standpoint," she wrote.

Peoria Unified is also in the final stages of selecting its new superintendent. Former superintendent Jason Reynolds resigned in May and departed the district on June 30, a year before his contract was set to end.

The district has narrowed candidates down to three finalists: the superintendent of Socorro Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, the superintendent of Lake Washington School District in Redmond, Washington, and the superintendent of Lewis-Palmer School District in Monument, Colorado.

The district held a livestreamed forum with the finalists on Nov. 14. On Nov. 29, the district is set to have a special governing board meeting to vote to enter contract negotiations with the selected candidate.

Madeleine Parrish covers K-12 education. Reach her at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Peoria Unified has a new board member; superintendent search narrows