It is amazing and sad at the same time to watch a geographic area quickly turn from its foundation. We are often asked why we “pick on” school districts like Mesa and Higley and this is why. Both areas were founded on strong family values and biblical principals. Most of Mesa and Gilbert (Higley School District includes the southern neigborhoods of Gilbert and part of Queen Creek) are solid red areas politically. Mesa is so large there are now pockets of Democrat precincts, but east Mesa and Gilbert consistently are represented in the Arizona legislature by registered Republicans.
In the Gilbert area, Congressman Andy Biggs (R) has been elected to several terms without a lot of fanfare; his base is solid. This same base lives in the Higley school district. Yet the residents in Higley schools are represented by a very liberal governing board. Therefore, the majority of residents aren’t really represented. Currently the political registration of the Higley board is 3-2 in favor of Democrats. However, it is eerily close to being 4-1 after the spectacle Tuesday night.
It was time to elect a new governing board president and the ping-pong game commenced. Anna Van Hoek nominated herself, having served on the board for three years. Her fellow Republican, Sara Jarman, subsequently nominated a Democrat, Scott Glover, who is also a strong supporter of the teachers union, instead of motioning to second Mrs. Van Hoek or supporting her candidacy. When Mr. Glover declined the nomination, the current rainbow-haired board President who had been nominated earlier by Mr. Glover was elected governing board president for another year. Watch here from 7:20 to 13:40 to see how it unfolded. It is worth noting that after Mrs. Van Hoek read her statement about what she would bring to a leadership role, there was eye contact between Mr. Glover and Mrs. Jarman (11:15). Was this a signal, as it seemed to be deliberate and there was a slight nod by Mr. Glover?
Of course it is speculation whether this scenario was planned prior to the meeting. While the board president holds no more power than fellow board members, the president has additional responsibilities. He or she runs the meetings in a professional manner, signs documents, and develops the meeting agenda with the Superintendent. Mrs. Van Hoek read a statement which outlined the responsibilities of a governing board president and why she felt she was qualified. Mrs. Jarman favored Mr. Glover for emotional reasons. Republicans in LD14 helped both Van Hoek and Jarman get elected. They may be surprised to find out what transpired at the Higley Board meeting.
Voters in Higley Unified voted down a bond/override two years in a row, as recently as November of 2025. The board president spent much time lamenting about this on Tuesday night. Arizona has school choice, though, and Higley voters have made their decision. Enrollment is down because the product is not satisfactory. The only way to change this is to be transparent with the community, focus on academics, and stop wasting money on unnecessary items, like $20,000 for a Las Vegas “professional development” trip that was approved this same night.
How did this happen in such a red district? Why aren’t voters in Higley, and especially LD14 Precinct Committeement holding their elected officials accountable? When all three branches of government in Washington, DC were controlled by Republicans, Democrats got to work. They focused on local races and look at our cities, towns, and schools now. Unfortunately, Republicans seem to be drawn to bright lights, increasing social media followers, and media interviews instead of real political work. While GOP supporters and influencers chase clicks, government schools have crumbled. And while Arizona’s LD14 Republican Precinct Committeemen allow Democrats in their meetings, one woman sits alone on the dais fighting for their children.
Does the Republican Party care about families and children? Probably many parents in LD14 are choosing private, charter, or homeschooling so what goes on in a school board meeting may not be important to them. But it should be. Not only are their tax dollars paying for that $20,000 Las Vegas trip, the schools are forming future leaders. They and their children can only run so far from public school failures; everyone is being affected and will be for generations to come.
It seems to be pretty easy to lure people to local political conferences with like-minded speakers, flashing lights, and pyrotechnics. Could attendees have instead devoted a couple hours to reviewing recent minutes or attending a board meeting to show support to the two women they helped elect? What about finding some strong candidates to support in the next election so the alleged games we witnessed on Tuesday won’t continue to occur? It is easy for those in Gilbert to say “We aren’t Tempe”. “We care more than parents in Phoenix Union”. “We aren’t as corrupt as Tucson Unified”. Is that true anymore? Ask Gilbert residents what just happened to their water bills.
It takes a lot of work to watch local governments. But there should be an infrastructure to accomplish this within each legislative district. Much of this can be done at home by watching meetings online, live or later in the week. It is not fun and it takes a lot of concentration. For those who truly want to make positive change in the community many hours are required, not just to review agendas, minutes, votes, vouchers, and proposals, but also to keep up with and understand state statutes. Never assume a school district is following the laws our legislators have enacted to protect children.
There may be other reasons those on the right don’t get involved. Here are a few examples from Higley alone:
https://azfreenews.com/?s=higley+book
The above links are just the tip of the iceberg in one small school district when diving into the dark side of education politics. It is not a place to make friends. It is not a place for parties. It is not a place where activists will feel comfortable all the time. Fundraising off values is not the same as living those values. It is way more fun to press the flesh with like-minded people than to be politically persecuted. Tell that to our founders and those who have given their lives to defend our rights.
Then tell that to your children.