Mesa Selects Utah Superintendent To Lead School District

By Mariana Dale
Published: Wednesday, March 7, 2018 - 1:59pm
Updated: Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - 11:54am
(Photo courtesy Mesa Public Schools)
Ember Conley was most recently the superintendent at the Park City School District in Utah.

UPDATE: April 3, 2018

The Mesa Public Schools Governing Board approved the contract for incoming Superintendent Ember Conley last week.

Ember Conley, currently the superintendent of Park City Schools in Utah, is scheduled to start in the district on July 1. Conley previously said as a first-generation college student, education is her passion.

“It’s not just education,” Conley said. “It’s being able to help students to learn to grow and to reach their dreams.”

The contract includes a $225,000 annual base salary and lasts three years. Benefits include a $900 monthly stipend, possible incentive payments for achieving district goals and membership to professional organizations.

Conley will also receive a one-time payment of up to $10,000 for moving expenses. The governing board will evaluate the superintendent’s performance annually.

The Mesa district serves more than 71,000 students.


The state’s largest school district has selected a new superintendent.

The governing board unanimously voted to enter contract negotiations with Park City Schools Superintendent Ember Conley.

At a public forum Monday night, Conley said as a first-generation college student, education is her passion.

“It’s not just education,” Conley said. “It’s being able to help students to learn to grow and to reach their dreams.”

Conley talked about her experience introducing an elementary school computer coding program and the need to extend more resources to schools that may be struggling.

“Equality is not equity and equity is not equality and so how can we level that playing field,” Conley said.

Conley had lead the Park City School District in Utah since 2013 and announced her resignation in December, according to local news reports.

The two other finalists were two local assistant superintendents, Shaun Holmes from Mesa Public Schools and Anna Battle from the Tempe Union High School District. 

The Mesa school district is Arizona’s largest and serves more than 71,000 students.


Education