$1.5 million renovation coincides with high-school district’s new focus on partnering with business

By Michelle Hirsch
wn111514Tempe, Chandler and Ahwatukee
residents joined staff, students,
elected officials and business
partners for a gala ribbon-cutting
celebration signifying the completion
of a $1.5 million renovation project
at offices of the Tempe Union High
School District.
District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth
Baca joined Governing Board President
Mary Lou Taylor, Vice President Moses
Sanchez and board members Michelle
Helm, David Shapira and Sandy Lowe to
offer the district’s thanks to business and
community members for their support of
students and district programs.
Mary Ann Miller, president of the
Tempe Chamber of Commerce, which
sponsored the celebration, talked about
the 20-plus-year relationship between the
district and the chamber.
“Tempe Union is a vibrant, healthy,
well-managed school district, which is
critical to us making sure tax dollars are
well spent,” said Miller. “Thank you so
much.”
Miller also complimented the district’s
newly developed [IN]CORPORATED
program for the ways it allows district
schools to connect with businesses to
benefit students and the community.
Using the program, high schools build
partnerships with businesses to help
students identify college and career paths
and provide them with opportunities to
preview job markets and gain opportunities
for job shadowing and mentoring.
The program also helps students gain
an understanding of the connections
between the skills they learn in school and
applications in the workplace.
Linked to the program are career and
technical education programs, designed to
help students undertake career exploration
for workforce success.
Unveiled during festivities in the
district’s governing board room were
upgrades designed to increase safety and
improve energy efficiencies, at the same
time decreasing maintenance costs—all
funded through a bond measure approved
by voters in 2012.
Corona del Sol High School culinary
arts students prepared and served
refreshments. Guests could also view
“[IN]nspiring Our Students” teacherproduced
artwork displayed in the board
room, and meet the teacher artists. The
artwork was offered for sale, with a portion
of the proceeds going toward a fine-arts
student scholarship from the Tempe Union
High Schools Foundation.
Baca, the district’s superintendent,
asked the culinary-arts students to notice
the number of community members,
business partners, teachers and staff in
attendance and who represent the people in
the community working together in support
of student learning.
Tempe/Kyrene Business Advisory
Council co-chairs Cathleen Barton
from Intel and Ed Tobin from Ed Tobin
Insurance Agency thanked business and
community members for their commitment
to students and for helping the district to
achieve its goals.
Barton and Tobin also commented
about the work of TKBAC, inviting
businesses, large and small, to participate
in programs that benefit students, and
ultimately, help guide the future of the
community.
During the celebration, business
representatives were presented with an “I’m
[IN] Tempe Union” vehicle shade-screen,
also receiving applause in appreciation of
their support.
Baca concluded the celebration by
thanking taxpayers for their support of
voter-approved bonds which are allowing
the district to make renovations that
increase energy efficiency and provide for
safe buildings that are conducive to an
effective learning environment.
The funds also were used to create a
newly designed governing board room
that the district says better conveys a
sense of community connection to conduct
the business of the district and support
its mission of excellence in teaching and
learning.
For information about business
partnerships in the Tempe Union district,
contact Dianne Welling, coordinator of
business and community partnerships at
480-345-3764.

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Advertisment

Latest e-Edition

Advertisment
Advertisment

Follow Us

2,648FansLike
953FollowersFollow

Weekly Email Newsletter

Latest

Join Our Family...

Wrangler Newsletter

One email

Once a week

Unsubscribe anytime

Welcome to The Wrangler Community!