As part of the district’s administrative redesign, the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board approved the appointment of six Executive Directors for the district’s Regional Learning Communities for the 2026-27 school year. The six Executive Directors will be Kacy Baxter, Aimee De La Torre, Hector Estrada, Arlinda Mann, Gennessee Montes and Steve Tannenbaum.
To assist with the placement of each Regional Learning Community, the district will gather community input to help align each Executive Director’s skills and experience with the needs of their learning community.
What is a Regional Learning Community?
A Regional Learning Community is a group of schools in Mesa Public Schools built around one of our six comprehensive high schools and the elementary and junior high schools that feed into it. There are 10-15 schools per region.
These communities are part of the district’s organizational redesign, a strategic shift to make the district more responsive, efficient, and sustainable. The redesign aims to provide more direct regional support to schools, reduce district-level administrative roles, and better align leadership with local needs. This does change the boundaries of where students would attend schools.
Key features:
Each of the six Regional Learning Communities is tied to one comprehensive high school and its feeder pattern.
Executive Directors will lead and support each region, helping ensure leadership, resources, and support are matched to the unique needs of that community.
It’s part of a broader redesign to streamline district leadership for greater efficiency and to focus more on the classroom.
Through this model, the district hopes to strengthen connections among schools in the same area, so that transitions from elementary to junior high to high school are smoother for students and families.
Ways to Provide Input
Online Survey
September 29 – October 13, 2025
Submit questions for the public forum.
Rank your priorities for the skills you believe are most important for your learning community.
Public Forum
October 21, 2025 | 5:00–7:30 p.m.
Location: Governing Board Room (will be livestreamed on mpsaz.org/live)
Each school will invite one community member to attend.
Viewers can also submit feedback following the event through Oct. 23.
The placements for Executive Directors for Regional Learning Communities will be determined and announced by Oct. 27.