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As of Wednesday afternoon, Pima County still had thousands of votes to count.

The Governing Board for Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s largest school district, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Unified, makes decisions that control a $500 million budget and affects the lives of about 42,500 children and their families.

The three newcomers, to be seated in January for the volunteer positions on the five-person board, will be responsible for seeing the district through educating students during the COVID-19 pandemic, an enrollment loss upwards of 2,500 students, a possible $15 million budget shortfall, a continuing statewide teacher shortage and TUSD’s ongoing desegregation order, already in place for more than 40 years.

Board President Kristel Foster and board members Rachael Sedgwick and Bruce Burke all declined to run for reelection, leaving three seats open. Luna Rose, Shaw and Grivois-Shah would join board members Adelita Grijalva and Leila Counts.

Luna Rose, who got more votes than any other candidate, is a TUSD parent and founding member of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Unified Parent Advocacy Council.

She works as community and outreach manager at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Center for Disability Law. She has been doing grassroots organizing for almost 20 years, participating in the public process at all levels.

Luna Rose says her win signals a change for the community, “as we now have the most diverse group of school board members to ever truly represent the district.�

“Come January, the Governing Board will face some intense challenges with the budget, declining enrollment and an infrastructure that needs massive repair, not to mention issues surrounding COVID-19,â€� she said. “The work will begin on Day 1. We have a lot of work ahead of us but I am ready to fight hard for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ families and help shape TUSD’s future.â€�

Shaw is an artist, art educator and community advocate. She volunteers in TUSD schools, currently as part of an art program at Catalina High School.

She serves on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee for both the Arts Foundation for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ as well as the League of Women Voters of Greater ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, where she is the education program co-chair.

“This win is for Sugar Hill and all the neighborhood schools that got closed down,� Shaw said in a post on Facebook. “This win is for the students who underperform and the parents who feel powerless. This win is for the employees that dedicate their lives to the district but aren’t paid a living wage. This win is for my daughter and everyone at Manzo Elementary. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to improve the conditions in TUSD but I’m excited for the challenge and humbled by the opportunity.�

Grivois-Shah is a TUSD parent and involved member of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Unified community. He is a parent member of the TUSD Audit Committee, and last year he served on the district’s Family Life Curriculum Committee to revise the sex education curricula.

He has been a family physician for the last 15 years, and he recently became CEO of the Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ AIDS Foundation.

“I’m honored and grateful that the TUSD community voted to put their trust in a physician and parent who will put the needs of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ students and families first,â€� Grivois-Shah said in a prepared statement.

“Voters responded to our positive message that focused on ensuring a sound response to the COVID pandemic in our schools, financial sustainability and accountability, and addressing disparities and inequities throughout TUSD. We have a clear mandate to meet these expectations.�

The three winners are projected to beat candidates Adam Ragan, Cindy Winston, Nick Pierson and write in candidate Cristina Mennella.

OTHER TUCSON SCHOOL BOARD RACES

• Amphitheater School District Governing Board members Scott Baker, Deanna M. Day and Vicki Cox Golder were on track for reelection as of Wednesday, defeating newcomer Nathan Davis, an educator.

• Vail board members Callie Tippett and Allison Pratt and newcomer Chris King were on track for election as of Wednesday to the Vail Unified School District Governing Board, leading over newcomer Andre Mixon.

• Sunnyside School District Governing Board member Rebecca “Beki� Quintero won reelection alongside two new candidates, Matthew Taylor and Lisette Nuñez. While a fourth candidate, Joaquin Nuñez, came in third place, he had already withdrawn his candidacy.