There’s nothing particularly sexy about serving on a school board. Information packets to read. Monthly meetings to attend. School events to show up at, a supportive presence. And then there are the obligatory raffle tickets to buy for everything from doughnuts to pizza.
But while the position does not feed the bank account, it does feed the soul, as current board members will attest.
Anthony Fennell, who serves on the Sonoita Elementary School District 25 board, moved to the area with two young children roughly 10 years ago.
“They (his children) were going into the school the following year after we moved here, and I had a very vested interest in the school,” he said. What started as a volunteer gig turned into a board member position after a teacher planted the idea of serving. He was appointed to a four-year term in 2021.
Harry Dotson, Sonoita Elementary board president, said his service is one way of giving back to the community. Additionally, “being a product of public education from K through grad school, I believe fervently in the value and the utility of public education in our country,” Dotson said.
Such sentiments are no doubt shared by many, but the commitment to sit on them has been in short supply in Santa Cruz County in recent years. School districts throughout the county face vacancies heading into 2027, with seats filled by “appointment” rather than election. The county’s only district with contested seats this year was Santa Cruz Elementary District (commonly known as Little Red).
Sonoita Elementary, though, is one of the fortunate districts. Nancy Webster is stepping down from her board position, but Jack Taylor has stepped up to fill the lone vacancy when no candidates filed for election.
In Patagonia, Yaritza Cortez (member) will need to be re-appointed to her post on the Elementary School board, with Nancy McCoy serving as clerk and Marilyn Miller as president.
On the High School District side, Ron Pitt will be stepping down after 12 years of serving on the five-member board. That will leave four members on the board from Patagonia. Ideally, the high school board should have three members from Patagonia and two from Sonoita-Elgin to ensure representation throughout the district.
Cynthia Matus Morris ended her 36-year tenure on Patagonia school boards in 2024. Looking back, she enjoyed the collaboration with local residents and fellow board members. But her heart, really, was warmed by the children. “Being (a) witness to all the little miracles happening in the classroom and seeing our students achieve great things” made the work worthwhile.
Matus Morris qualified for the high school board because she lives in the Patagonia High School District, which includes Patagonia, Sonoita and Elgin. The state mandates that board members live in their respective school districts in order to serve. Consequently, Sonoita and Elgin residents are eligible for the Sonoita elementary board. Patagonia residents are eligible for the Patagonia elementary board, and all three communities are eligible for the high school board.
Maya M. Donnelly, Santa Cruz County School Superintendent, said she believes the absence of candidates to run for school boards has more to do with time commitment than anything else.
“Usually they (board members) are retired people,” Donnelly said. Or people who don’t have full-time jobs. “A lot of our boards have members that have been there for quite some time.”
Donnelly said it’s rare for a seat to go unfilled. Generally, a community member gets recruited and submits a letter of interest to the county superintendent. If the board, superintendent and candidate feel it’s a good fit, Donnelly can appoint that person to the seat.
With Santa Cruz County — and other rural counties across the state — the school board scenario is vastly different from urban areas. “When I go to Tucson or Phoenix, I see all the signs and hear all the hoopla surrounding (school board) elections,” Donnelly said. But not here.
One possible explanation: In urban areas, a school board post can be the starting point to higher political aspirations.
Dan Erickson, Sonoita Elementary superintendent and principal, witnessed that while working in an urban district for nearly 15 years. He also witnessed partisanship, which isn’t supposed to happen in a school board position.
Locally, political aspirations and partisanship are pleasantly absent. Both Erickson and Patagonia superintendent/principal Kenny Hayes applauded their respective boards for dedication to students, teachers and staff above all else.
Which brings up the question, what exactly do school boards do?
Turns out a board’s role and responsibilities are strictly dictated by state (A.R.S. § 15-341). Those duties include:
- Setting policies
- Superintendent oversight
- Budget and finances
Board members and administrators interviewed for this story acknowledged that there is a learning curve getting up to speed if you are not familiar with the educational system. But once acclimated — not including school activities — the commitment is about three hours a month.
But here Matus Morris felt compelled to issue a warning to anyone interested in throwing their hat in the ring: “You get emotional and cry at graduation.”
