Ira A. Murphy Elementary

Tomorrow, July 31, Peoria Unified will be closed as all staff are on a furlough day. During a furlough day, all district schools and worksites are closed to the public, employees do not work and are not paid.

Last November, the community did not approve the override funding for our schools, resulting in a loss of approximately $11 million from this year's operating budget, or our maintenance and operations fund. This, coupled with declining enrollment has caused the district to cut a total of $21 million from our current budget. One way the budget shortfall will be addressed is with three furlough days this school year: July 31, February 12 and May 12. These furlough days will result in an average pay decrease of 1.5 to 1.7% for all staff members.

All school and district offices will reopen for normal hours on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, for the first day of school.

Learn more about Peoria Unified's fiscal reality at peoriaunified.org/fiscalrealities.

We are getting excited to open our doors for the 2026-2037 school year!!
Campus cleaned ✅
Teachers planned ✅
Class Supply Lists ✅
Meet the Teacher Thursday, July 30th at 4:30pm in the Multipurpose room.

🐴💚 MEET THE MUSTANGS 💚🐴

Please join us in welcoming Teacher Lopez to the Ira A. Murphy Mustang family! Teacher Lopez will be teaching Art the 2nd semester at Murphy.

A Note from Teacher Lopez:

Hi my name is Iliana Lopez, I’ve just recently graduated from ASU with a bachelors in art education. I love to crochet, read, play video games, and create art!This will be my first year teaching and I look forward to meeting my students at Peoria Elementary and Ira A Murphy Elementary school.

Welcome to the herd!

🐴💚 MEET THE MUSTANGS 💚🐴
Please join us in welcoming Mr. Spore to the Ira A. Murphy Mustang family!

A Note from Mr Spore:

My name is Eric Spore and I am your new TLC teacher. This will be my 5th year in PUSD and have been at Desert Valley and Sundance Elementary schools. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in History and Political Science. I will be Continuing a split between two schools, Peoria Elementary and Ira Murphy Elementary. My hobbies include staying active in weight lifting, scuba diving and off roading.

Welcome to the herd!

🐴💚 MEET THE MUSTANGS 💚🐴
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Stakland to the Ira A. Murphy Mustang family!

A little bit about Note Ms. Stakland:

Raina Stakland is the band teacher at Ira Murphy Elementary school. She is an alumni of the district, graduating from Sunrise Mountain High School before attending college in the Valley. She received her Bachelors of Arts with an emphasis in education and instrumental music from Ottawa University. Raina has a deep passion for the arts and feels every student deserves access to high quality music education.

Welcome to the herd!

🐴💚 MEET THE MUSTANGS 💚🐴
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Thibodeau to the Ira A. Murphy Mustang family!

A Note from Ms Thibodeau:
Hi, my name is Eileen Thibodeau! I will be teaching 3rd grade over at Ira A. Murphy during this school year. I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but moved out to Arizona to attend Arizona State University. I just recently graduated from ASU with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I am very excited to start the school year and meet all of the students and staff!

Welcome to the herd!

💚 Stronger Together, Brighter Forever

🐴💚 MEET THE MUSTANGS 💚🐴
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Hughes to the Ira A. Murphy Mustang family! Ms. Hughes will be teaching 2nd Grade this school year.

A Note from Ms. Hughes:
“Hi! I’m Ms. Hughes, and I’ll be teaching 2nd grade at Ira A. Murphy! I’m so excited to begin my first year of teaching. I’ve always had a passion for education and creating memorable, positive experiences for my students. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy coaching beach volleyball and going on long walks. I can’t wait to meet my students and their families and make this an amazing school year!”

We’re thrilled to have Ms. Hughes join our team and look forward to the enthusiasm, positivity, and care she’ll bring to our Mustangs. Welcome to the Herd!

💚 Stronger Together, Brighter Forever

Please join us in giving a BIG Mustang welcome to our newest 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Ciliberti! 🐴💚

Mrs. Ciliberti will be joining Ms. Faux on our 1st grade team this school year, and we’re thrilled to have her as part of the Mustang family!

A message from Mrs. Ciliberti:
“Hi! I’m excited to join the Mustang family as a 1st grade teacher! This will be my 5th year teaching, and I can’t wait to get to know my students and their families. I’m looking forward to a fantastic school year!”

Happy birthday to America! 250 years ago, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence forming the United States of America. From learning about the three branches of government to understanding the importance of voting, Peoria Unified is committed to educating our students to be civic-minded, responsible citizens.

Be sure to register, verify and update your voter registration status by visiting peoriaunified.org/vote.