School board members in Chandler Unified School District retained their seats while newcomers are joining incumbents in Tempe Union and Mesa Unified, according to unofficial election results late Tuesday.

Bianca Hamilton plays basketball and volleyball, but for the last few months, she's been on the sidelines.

With school closings, declining enrollment and financial struggles putting Mesa Unified School District at a crossroads, parents packed a meeting this week to hear from the four candidates running for two seats on the governing board.

Students from Gilbert Junior High School said the campus was abuzz with excitement Wednesday after the district board voted 4-1 Tuesday to rescind a prior decision to close the campus.

Jordan Elementary School will close as a neighborhood campus at the end of the school year and become home to an early childhood education program, the Mesa Unified School District governing board decided Tuesday night.

Gilbert Junior High School seventh-graders may not know until early next year where they will attend school in August 2013, following a decision by the district governing board Tuesday night.

Many parents were unhappy Tuesday night as they learned more about their school district’s proposal to close Gilbert Junior High as a neighborhood school and move Gilbert Classical Academy into its space.

An education transformation is underway in Mesa.

Noting the short notice given to the community about a vote to close Gilbert Junior High School, the district governing board decided Tuesday that the school will close for the 2014-2015 school and a transition team will come up with a recommendation about what happens next school year.

A shortened school year may have benefits, several parents said Thursday after learning of a Republican plan to cut Arizona's school year by 10 days.

Gov. Janet Napolitano used her time in the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday to invoke the struggling Americans she met while helping to craft the Democratic platform and three Arizonans who lost their bids for the presidency.

The Mesa school board was not ready to commit to the idea of closing elementary schools Tuesday without diving into more data from the district.

Mesa Junior High School -- which opened 59 years ago -- will close at the end of the school year.

Three East Valley school districts are seeking bond project approval from voters during the Nov. 2 election.

Tempe City Council incumbent Ben Arredondo leads all East Valley candidates this season with nearly $144,000 in campaign contributions. Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn is next with $76,000 to date, followed by his challenger, Chandler City Councilman Phill Westbrooks, with nearly $63,000.

Tempe City Council incumbent Ben Arredondo leads all East Valley candidates this season with nearly $144,000 in campaign contributions. Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn is next with $76,000 to date, followed by his challenger, Chandler City Councilman Phill Westbrooks, with nearly $63,000.