‘Jurassic Park Live’ / p. 20
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Higley board members spar over teachers group BY CECILIA CHAN Tribune Staff Writer
T COMMUNITY .......... 12 Traveling petting zoo is former teacher’s dream
BUSINESS ............. 13
Portillo’s to open by end of year
Sunday, July 9, 2023
he teachers’ union and Higley Unified School District have inked a new agreement to negotiate labor issues despite a board member’s contention that the association doesn’t have students’ best interest at heart. The HUSD Governing Board approved the
agreement with the Higley Education Association (HEA) June 28 on a 4-1 vote with Anna Van Hoek the sole dissenter. It went into effect July 1. “Obviously they support teachers and not necessarily students,” Van Hoek said. “I believe if teachers want to be part of HEA, obviously they’re welcome to do that on their own. “But I don’t believe that the district needs to be signing an agreement with the union.”
Van Hoek was elected in November and endorsed by Purple for Parents, a group that grew out of the frustration with the Red for Ed movement. The grassroots demonstration in 2018 saw teachers walking out of the classroom for six days demanding higher pay. The walkout shut down schools statewide
see HIGLEY page 6
Phoenix to exit Gateway Airport board BY SCOTT SHUMAKER Tribune Staff Writer
SPORTS ................. 17
D-Back’s Perdomo enjoys the fruits of his labor
COMMUNITY ............. 12 BUSINESS ................. 13 OPINION ................... 15 SPORTS .................... 17 GET OUT .................... 20 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 22
P
hoenix’s announcement of its exit from the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport will likely increase the clout of Queen Creek and other smaller East Valley communities in the management of the Mesa airport. Although it historically has served as a reliever for Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix announced on June 30 that it will pull out of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority next June. Officials on both sides of the partnership framed the move as a demonstration of GatePhoenix and Gateway Airport officials cited the Southeast Valley facility’s growth over the time
see GATEWAY page 4 Phoenix has been a member. (File photo)
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