GOVERNING BOARD

President

Term of Office: 2023-2026

Katy Taylor is the 6th generation Gila County Resident and Graduated from Payson High School in 1998. She married her High School Sweetheart Justin Taylor. They have 3 kids that have been through PUSD. Makiah graduated in 2019 and attends UofA, Mayzee graduated in 2021 and lives with her Husband in Snowflake, AZ, and Kelten will graduate in 2024. All of her kids were very involved in sports and other clubs within the school district. Katy is a local Accountant as well as a General Contractor with her husband Justin. She has volunteered with several activities in our school district along with community activities. Community is very important to her and she strives to keep communication open to all. Katy is excited to serve on the school board and bring wisdom with finance and keep the traditions of Payson alive within our school district. 

Vice President

Term of Office: 2025-2028

Joanne moved to the Payson area in 2003 and has embraced this community ever since.
As a volunteer she has been very involved in many different groups and endeavors.
She is no stranger to the school district. She served on the PUSD School Board from
2018-2022, assisted in getting the School Bond passed, worked on several Overrides,
served on the RCMS site board and have volunteered in different capacities at the
schools.
She is committed to the children, staff and community of PUSD. She is a firm believer
in open communication, teamwork, accountability and transparency. She knows her
previous experiences as a PUSD School Board member and her professional
experiences in human resources and finance will help her make good decisions for
PUSD. Her goal is to see PUSD excel in all they do and promote a positive culture of
caring, empathy, respect and trust.

Lori Vanover

Board Member

Term of Office: 2025-2028

Lori is a third generation Arizonan, with children and grandchildren who are fourth
and fifth generation. She has deep roots in this community through her sister Dori,
Dori’s husband Gary Hardt, and their children.
Lori and her husband, Ron, bought their home here in Payson 11 years ago and
have lived in Payson full time for the past couple of years, since they both retired.
Lori is the Recording Secretary for the Mogollon Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution here in Payson. She also is involved with many church
activities.
She is a retired public-school teacher, with 37 years in the classroom and more
than 15 years as a mentor writing curriculum and working with new teachers to
support their growth and skill building. She has always been a strong voice for our
schools and our youth. Lori wants to use her skills and experience to support our students,
parents and educators.

Board Member

Term of Office: 2025-2028

Audrey has lived in Payson since 2014. She is married with four children, an adult son, a daughter who graduated from Payson High School in 2022, and a son and daughter who currently attend the Payson School District. She works as a full time Realtor in Rim Country. Audrey has volunteered on the JRE PTO and still volunteers with the wrestling booster club. She enjoys attending all PUSD events, loves anything outdoors, and going to Roosevelt Lake with her family during the summer. Audrey looks forward to continuing to improve this amazing school district and making PUSD10 the best it can be.

Board Member

Term of Office: 2025-2026

Michell was born and raised in Payson, AZ. She graduated from Payson Center for Success. This is her 3rd term to serve on the Board for PUSD. She has 4 children. Two currently serving in the service one in the Marines, and one Army National Guard. One child has joined the Union to become an electrician and her youngest is still in High School. She has volunteered in many capacities and organizations in the community. Michell is looking forward to continuing to serve PUSD. Some of her priorities are assist in finding a solution for school safety improvements, improvements with growth and proficiency, and continue to oversee the budget.

GOVERNING BOARD LINKS

The Payson Unified Schools Governing Board is scheduled to meet monthly, please refer to our calendar for upcoming dates. Meetings are held in the District Office Board Room at 902 W. Main Street.

Members of the Governing Board may not discuss items that are not on the agenda. Therefore, action taken as a result of public comment, for items not on the agenda, will be limited to directing staff to study the matter for further consideration and decision at a later date. The Governing Board asks that members of the public maintain a respectful tone and refrain from personal attacks upon Governing Board members, employees of the District, or other person(s) in attendance or absent. Per Board policy, presenters are cautioned that statements or representations concerning others that convey an unjustly unfavorable impression may subject the presenter to civil action for defamation. By state statute, Board members may respond to criticism. A three (3)-minute limit for each member of the public will be observed.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

To request permission to address the Governing Board click here:

Agendas are posted on the bulletin board on the exterior of the building a minimum of 24 hours in advance of each meeting and as a link on this page. Regular and Special Board meetings are open to the public. The Board may go into Executive Session during any meeting. Due to the nature of the agenda items discussed in the Executive Session, this part of the meeting is not open to the public. Those wishing to address the Governing Board at a meeting must complete a request for a “Public Participation at Board Meeting” form, available above or in the Board Room prior to all regular Board meetings. Due to state open meeting laws, Governing Board members may not respond to items that are not already on the agenda.

Full Transparency with in PUSD

The Governing board believes in and supports full academic transparency within PUSD. 
 
What is academic transparency in PUSD: 
Academic transparency is the proactive sharing of clear, accessible, and timely information regarding the curriculum, instructional practices, assessments, and student performance.  It is to provide concrete support for our students by conveying to students and parents/guardians the how and why of their child’s education in PUSD. 
District Office

Families

Contact Us

Credit for Kids

PUSD Air quality - Horton Fire Smoke

Due to the heavy smoke in the area from the Horton Fire PUSD will be calling a Red Flag morning for the week of January 6th through the 9th, 2025. This will be in place till 10:15 a.m. each morning.
This means that P.U.S.D. faculty and staff will work to bring students indoors during this time and there will be no outside morning recess.
If you have questions or concerns please reach out to your school site administration directly.
Thank you.

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