Five candidates seek two Tucson Unified School District board seats Nov. 3

Five candidates are running for two open seats on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The winners will step into leadership of southern Arizona's largest school district as it weighs closing up to 10 schools, confronts a $25 million deficit and carries a state financial-risk designation.

Who is on the ballot

The Pima County School Superintendent's Office lists five certified candidates for the two TUSD seats:

Jennifer Eckstrom (incumbent), 49, program coordinator for Pima County community and workforce development and former South Tucson mayor
Val Romero (incumbent), 55, owner of Arizona Grill & Hearth
Pilar Acosta Ruiz, 62, bookkeeper
Skye M. Fernandez, 37, former public school teacher and private educator
Tre'Davon Rhodes, 20, University of Arizona student

Both incumbents are seeking second terms, according to AZ Luminaria. The race is nonpartisan. New board members take office in January.

What the board controls

Board members approve the district's budget, set academic and community goals, establish policies and appoint the superintendent, according to AZPM. The position is unpaid.

What is at stake

TUSD approved a $797 million budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, but the district faces a $25 million deficit driven by declining enrollment and rising costs, the Arizona Daily Star reported in June. The budget reduced that shortfall by about $10 million, Chief Financial Officer Ricky Hernández said at the time.

The Arizona Auditor General classified TUSD in January as at highest financial risk, the only Pima County district in that category, according to the Star. Under Arizona law, the State Board of Education can place a district in receivership if it finds it insolvent or grossly mismanaged, AZ Luminaria reported.

Enrollment is projected to drop about 4% to roughly 35,000 students, according to AZ Luminaria. District officials attribute the decline to lower Pima County birth rates and families using Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to homeschool or attend private schools.

Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo has recommended closing up to 10 schools over the next two years. The board is scheduled to hold a public hearing Nov. 17 and vote on the recommendations Dec. 8, according to the Star's Oct. 28 report.

The two incumbents have split on the closure timeline. At the board's Oct. 27 meeting, Eckstrom called for a pause. "We are moving way too fast," she said, according to the Star. "We need to be cautious about what we're doing here."

Romero defended the process. "If the auditor general of the state takes over our district, it doesn't matter what board members say here when it comes to finances," he said at the same meeting, according to the Star.

How to vote

Pima County Vote Centers are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, according to Pima County's elections page. Voters can find locations at pima.vote. Election-night results are unofficial until certified by the county.