2026 Governing Board Election
Cave Creek Unified School District Governing Board Candidate Questionnaire
Every qualified candidate was invited to answer the same questions. Responses are presented unedited and exactly as submitted so voters can compare each candidate's perspectives in their own words.
CCEA is not a political action committee, is not affiliated with any candidate or campaign, and does not endorse or campaign for any candidate.
Marla Riney
www.Riney4CCUSD.comSucheta Shah
www.shahforccusd.com
01
Why are you running for the CCUSD Governing Board, and what do you hope to accomplish during your first term?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyI'm running because I'm a CCUSD parent first. My seventh grader has been in the district since Kindergarten (Go DSA Coyotes!) and plans to graduate as a Falcon in 2032. I've seen firsthand what makes this district special: teachers and staff who know our kids by name from the first day of kindergarten to graduation day. That's worth fighting for.
In my first term, I want to make progress on four priorities:
• Academic excellence for every
student, no matter what their needs are;
• Real support for the teachers and staff who make that
possible, including pay, benefits, and resources;
• Transparency and trust with our community
because CCUSD will only be as successful as the community that supports it;
• Protecting public
education for our community’s future, which means doing the work behind my vote.
Sucheta ShahI have been volunteering in CCUSD since 2009 and have watched the district's enrollment rise and then decline. I feel the need to help bring CCUSD back to a district where our schools were full of students. I want to analyze what led to the drastic decline and work to bring students back to CCUSD. We need a robust marketing plan and to address the reasons why students have left. I also want to help push the State Legislature to see the value in education and increase funding. I also want to prioritize teacher salary increases over administrator increases.
02
What do you believe makes you the right candidate, at this moment, for CCUSD?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyI bring a solution-focused, collaborative approach rather than an ideological one. As a current CCUSD parent and active volunteer, I'm not coming to this seat with an agenda. I'm coming with relationships across this district and the community, as well as a track record of showing up and listening. CCUSD needs leaders who are invested in the long run and who are forward-thinking and willing to do the work necessary to get the district back on track.
Sucheta ShahI have over 7 years of experience serving on executive boards for PTO & CCUEF. In addition, I have worked in higher education for over 10 years as an instructor and on the business side, where I was instilled with the value of Student Obsession. I have created and run 3 businesses and understand budgeting, customer success, marketing, and pivoting when needed. I have been a CCUSD parent since 2009. I also chose to take my daughter to another school for 8th grade due to bullying and her mental health, but brought her back to CSHS for 9th grade while my son stayed at HTES. So, I understand the issues that caused some families to leave. My youngest is a Senior at CSHS. I am a continually active parent and have built many relationships with CCUSD staff over the years. I believe my professional experience and my involvement in the district provide me with a perspective that will benefit CCUSD.
03
What do you believe are the three greatest challenges facing CCUSD over the next four years?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla Riney- Competing for enrollment and resources against larger neighboring districts without losing what makes CCUSD distinct.
- Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers and staff amid regional competition and rising cost of living.
- Rebuilding and maintaining community trust and transparency, especially when the board faces difficult budget or policy decisions.
Sucheta ShahThe three greatest challenges are enrollment, funding, and teacher salaries, all of which are interconnected. Continued enrollments decline results in decreased state funding. At the same time, low tax-credit contributions, the lack of voter-approved bonds and overrides, and restrictions on how different funding “buckets” can be used create additional financial challenges. These revenue constraints directly affect our ability to provide competitive teacher salaries. Addressing enrollment and funding will be critical to improving teacher compensation and retaining high-quality educators.
04
What do you see as the three greatest opportunities for CCUSD over the next four years?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla Riney- CCUSD's small-district, know-your-kid-by-name culture is a genuine differentiator, which should be leaned into rather than try to compete with the larger surrounding districts.
- Strengthening the pipeline and resources from Pre-K through Cactus Shadow graduation so families stay in the district the whole way through.
- Rebuilding community trust through consistent transparency, opening the door to deeper family and volunteer engagement.
Sucheta ShahWe need to market our exceptional level of academics, which includes AP, IB, graduation rates, and test scores. Our athletic teams also have an amazing record, which we need to market as well. Telling the story of CCUSD inside and outside our community will compel families to bring their children to CCUSD. This will also keep our great teachers and attract new ones when needed.
05
How will you ensure that teachers and support staff have meaningful opportunities to provide input before major decisions are made?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyBy treating staff input as a required step, not a courtesy. The governing board must build regular, structured opportunities for teachers and support staff to weigh in before decisions are finalized, not after, and make sure that input visibly shapes outcomes.
Sucheta ShahI want teachers and support staff to know that their voices matter. Board members should actively seek input from the employees who are directly affected by major decisions, not just hearing from them after a decision has already been made. I would encourage regular communication, listen to staff concerns, ask questions, and ensure their perspectives are considered as part of the decision-making process.
06
What specific actions would you support to recruit and retain high-quality teachers and staff?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineySupport competitive compensation, manageable workloads, and a district culture where staff feel heard and respected. Retention is as much about trust and being valued as it is about pay.
Sucheta ShahIncrease in salaries; investigating healthcare: how many employees use it vs do not. Is there an option to offer $ instead of healthcare so employees can shop for their own or apply to a spouse’s healthcare? Is there an opportunity for special scholarships for children or employees? I also want to hear what teachers consider when looking for employment besides salary.
07
How do you define student success beyond standardized test scores?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyAs a social worker, I have a whole-child perspective. To me, success is a student who is known, supported, and set up to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Success is not only measured at graduation, but throughout their years in the district. Test scores are one data point, not the definition of a successful student.
Sucheta ShahStudent success can be measured by on-time graduation rates and positive feedback from students (VSAT percentage). Also, tracking whether graduates followed their planned post-graduation path.
08
How will you build trust with employees, families, and the community during times of disagreement?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyThrough transparency and consistency, communicating clearly and early, listening genuinely to all sides, and being honest about tradeoffs rather than avoiding hard conversations.
Sucheta ShahTrust is based on listening to individuals and acknowledging their feelings and opinions. When diverse groups have opposing viewpoints, you must provide the rationale for your final decision. Even if you may not agree with the decision, I believe trust will be built and remain if you provide this information. It is important to know when to just listen.
09
Describe a time when you changed your opinion after hearing new information. What did you learn from that experience?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyWhen Desert Sun Academy and Lone Mountain Elementary closed, I was strongly opposed. DSA was my child's school and our neighborhood school, and the decision was an emotional one for our entire community. But I didn't stop at my initial reaction. I read the information the district provided, attended community meetings, listened to input from teachers, staff, and neighbors, and asked hard questions of both district leadership and the governing board. Through that process, I came to understand that closing those schools was a matter of survival, driven by declining enrollment and a serious lack of funding. It's a decision that still saddens me, but it reinforced that the impact on students, staff, and community must stay at the center of every complex decision ahead.
Sucheta ShahAt a previous university, we had an outdated assessment platform that had been highly customized and patched over many years. Our internal product team strongly opposed upgrading because of the resources required and the potential disruption to students. Initially, I agreed with their concerns. However, after continued outages, I spoke directly with the vendor to better understand the long-term risks of staying on the outdated platform. I learned that not upgrading posed an even greater risk to our students. I changed my position and collaborated with the vendor to have them absorb more of the resources needed for the transition. I then created a business case to present to the internal stakeholders, which helped the university move forward with the upgrade. This experience reinforced the importance of seeking additional information, challenging your own assumptions, and being willing to change your position when the facts show there is a better path forward.
10
How do you approach making decisions when there is significant public disagreement on an issue?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyI listen to all perspectives, weigh the data and evidence and the district's long-term interest over short-term pressure, and communicate the reasoning behind the decision clearly, even to those who disagree with the outcome.
Sucheta ShahWhen there is disagreement, I like to hear all sides of the argument and gather information. The decision-making process would focus on the student outcome first, and then on which other group or process would be affected the most.
11
If elected, what would success look like at the end of your first four-year term?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyA CCUSD where families feel confident staying through graduation, staff feel supported and heard, and the board has earned back community trust through transparency.
Sucheta ShahSuccess would mean seeing CCUSD enrollment moving in the right direction, increased tax-credit donations and community support, competitive teacher salaries, and stronger retention of our great teachers and staff. I would also like to see greater awareness throughout the Valley of CCUSD's academic and athletic achievements. Most importantly, I want families and employees to feel heard and confident that Governing Board decisions are being made with students at the center.
12
Is there anything else you would like CCEA members to know about your priorities, leadership philosophy, or vision for the future of CCUSD?
Scott Brown's response will appear here once submitted.
Marla RineyMy leadership philosophy is simple: show up, listen first, and fight for what makes CCUSD worth choosing: a district where every student is known by name and every educator is treated as a partner. New horizons are ahead for CCUSD.
Sucheta ShahGood leadership means listening, asking tough questions, looking at the facts, and being willing to stand up for what is right even when it is uncomfortable. I have spent 17+ years volunteering alongside CCUSD teachers and staff and have tremendous respect for the work they do every day. I want CCUSD to be a district where great teachers want to stay, families want to send their children, and employees feel valued and heard. My goal is not simply to point out problems, but to work collaboratively to find solutions that move our district forward.