Kyrene Superintendent

Laura Toenjes, M.A.Ed

Superintendent

Laura Toenjes has nearly 30 years of experience in education. She grew up in Gilbert, AZ and went on to graduate from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in communications and aspirations for law school. After graduation, she accepted a position in Gilbert Public Schools and fell in love with teaching. Ms. Toenjes now holds dual master’s degrees in elementary education and administration and curriculum. She has worked across all levels of the education system as a classroom teacher, a principal, a district leader, and a state administrator. Through these experiences, she has witnessed inequities in funding and resources and is a strong advocate for access and inclusion in public education.

As Superintendent of Kyrene School District, she has overseen the development and adoption of the District’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy; the District’s first Social-Emotional Learning and Wellness policy; the District’s first Portrait of a Kyrene Kid; and the Kyrene Strategic Plan 2023-28: Thrive! Ready for the Future. Under her leadership, Kyrene has twice been awarded the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials International and has received the highest recognition for fiscal responsibility from the Government Finance Officers Association. Placing emphasis on inclusive decision making, Ms. Toenjes leads a series of councils for family, staff and community engagement, and she created Kyrene’s first Student Senate.

Ms. Toenjes is the very proud mother of two young men who have both chosen paths of service. Her younger son Ethan just completed five years with the U.S. Marine Corps, and her older son Seth is a firefighter in Casa Grande. Ms. Toenjes is excited for her newest title: grandmother, as Seth and his wife prepare to welcome a baby in 2024.

Contact the Superintendent’s office at 480-541-1100.