February 6, 2025
Queen Creek, Ariz.– Following the resignation of James Knox on January 7, 2025, the Queen Creek Unified School District declared a vacancy on its five-member Governing Board on January 8, 2025. The district, in partnership with the Maricopa County Superintendent’s Office, followed a transparent process to identify and recommend candidates for appointment.
The following timeline was followed:
- 1/8/25: Public announcement of vacancy (website, newsletters, social media, etc)
- 1/10/25: Application packets available at the District Office
- 1/17/25: Deadline for submitting applications
- 1/28/25: District orientation
- 2/5/25: District Collaboration Team interviewed the applicants
- 2/6/25: District Collaboration Team recommended three nominees to the County Superintendent of Schools
- TBD: Appointee announced by the County Superintendent of Schools
- TBD: Oath of Office administered by the County Superintendent of Schools
In the spirit of community input, the makeup of the collaborative team included the current governing board president who served as the chair, the district superintendent, a teacher representative, and a community member.
Eleven applications were received and all eleven applicants were interviewed on February 5, 2025. The district was impressed with the high caliber of all applicants and it was very difficult to select only three names for submission, however, the committee felt that the following three applicants stood out: Christina (Chrissy) Gust, John Kliethermes, and Sarah Purcell. All three of these applicants have children or have had children who attend our district and are very invested in the community. Two of these applicants are former QCUSD educators. Additionally, all three of these candidates are strong supporters of public education and are passionate about making informed decisions that will provide students with the best education possible.
The recommendations were sent to the Maricopa County Superintendent on 2/6/25. Superintendent Boggs may appoint one of the three recommended applicants or she may appoint another individual. The district will announce the appointee as soon as it is officially determined by the Maricopa County Superintendent.
