Mayor looks back, ahead / P. 3
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
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NEWS ........................ 7 Nearly 400 Chandler Unified students considered suicide since July.
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Queen Creek Unified Board okays 2% raise for teachers BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
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he Queen Creek Unified Governing Board last week unanimously approved a 2% raise for its certified employees, and increased the base pay for starting teachers from $50,000 to $53,000 annually. Administration officials said the raise would help keep Queen Creek Unified competitive with other Valley districts that have
made similar salary adjustments thanks to a state budgetary surplus. “If a current teacher is below that base salary, then they will be brought to the $53,000 base before the approved raise is applied,” said Chief Financial Officer Jessica Johnston. Johnston said the board discussed the compensation package in a special session last month. “I was excited that we were able to give teachers a raise of 2%,” board member James
What’s not to love? BUSINESS ............. 15
Knox told the Tribune. “I wish in the private sector we were getting 2% raises. “Raising the base pay is a great start for new teachers and any additional money we can provide for our education process is a good thing,” he added. “Teachers are the most important resource we have.” Like other school districts in Arizona, Queen Creek is using a portion of the state’s see
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SPORTS .................. 19 Castell soccer heading into playoffs again.
The Town of Queen Creek Recreation Department jump-started Valentine’s Day observances Feb. 3 with a “Love Bug” dance for children 3-12 and their parents. The girls donned their holiday best and they and their parents enjoyed games, crafts and, of course, a lot of dancing. (Quinton Kendall/Tribune Contributor)
Central Arizona College www.centralaz.edu
RAISES page 5
At age 15, Queen Creek Fire expects to grow BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
Physical therapist happy to be easing pain in QC.
COMMUNITY .........................12 BUSINESS................................15 OPINION...................................17 SPORTS......................................19 GET OUT.................................... 20 CLASSIFIEDS............................ 23
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2023
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o keep pace with the town’s growth, the Queen Creek Fire and Medical Department will likely expand beyond its current roster of five fire stations perhaps more quickly than originally thought. “There is a possibility that with the growth that Queen Creek continues to experience that at some point in the future Queen Creek could add up to four more fire stations based on the growth potential,” Fire Chief Vance Gray said. “I’m not framing this as a
huge negative challenge,” he added. “It’s just making sure that we are providing the adequate services that we need for Queen Creek residents. “So, we watch that very closely. The biggest challenge is ensuring that we are keeping up with growth and keeping up with the way that the population is increasing.” The department is marking its 15th anniversary this year. It typically sees a consistent 7% to 10% increase in the number of fire and medical calls year over year, Gray said, and that see
FIRE page 6
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