by Tiffany Benson | Aug 1, 2025 | Opinion
By Tiffany Benson |
K-12 superintendents are the CEOs of public schools, spearheading a cabinet of professionals who manage district resources and implement safety and academic programs. Superintendent qualifications may include a doctorate of philosophy (Ph.D.) or education (Ed.D.) and some experience in finance, communications, and organizational leadership.
Superintendents are paid exorbitant salaries topping close to $1 million, depending on the district size. This amount does not include performance bonuses, work vehicles, mobile devices, or lavish vacation packages—er, I mean, “out-of-state professional development conferences.” Whether superintendents do good or evil, employment agreements stipulate that they receive full compensation and benefits, largely at the taxpayers’ expense.
Arizona public schools are home to some of the most ethically challenged and morally questionable high-level administrators. K-12 superintendents across the Valley primarily care about aesthetics and the “business of the district.” Below is an incomplete list of superintendents with controversial reputations, alongside the elected officials who bow to their almighty paper-pushing agenda.
Newly hired Higley USD Superintendent David Loutzenheiser now sits on the dais with governing board members, leaving his cabinet on the floor. This arrangement was approved by the purple-haired board president, Amanda Wade, who once advocated for striking the word “immoral” from teacher-student communication policies. Radical board member Tiffany Schultz—who once declared that professional dress codes “sexualize children’s bodies”—backed Wade’s decision to disrupt the chain of command. No one but Loutzenheiser benefited from this stunt. He set a bad precedent for what’s to come. Read more in AZ Free News.
Earlier this year, a resident in the Cartwright Elementary School District sued two board members for nepotism, citing A.R.S. 15-421. Cassandra Hernandez (elected at age 19) is the daughter of board president and state representative Lydia Hernandez (D). Despite using different addresses on their campaign applications, constituents cried foul and called for their resignations. The Hernandezes led a charge to install the disgraced former Maricopa County Superintendent Steve Watson as district superintendent. Watson is accused of fraud and leaving behind an infestation of financial deficits, lawsuits, and dysfunction in the county office. Cartwright residents have no reason to expect Watson will leave their district any better than he found it.
Deer Valley USD residents constantly complain across social media about Superintendent Curtis Finch’s dismissive “leadership” style. Residents are also suspicious of Finch’s camaraderie with board president Paul Carver, who once told a room full of conservatives that Finch is the best superintendent in the state. Both men support a twice-failed ballot measure that would allow the district to exceed its budget. Finch defended the 15% override, stating: “The anti-public school movement is growing here in Arizona, which is a crime against humanity.” Whether or not good things are happening in DVUSD is up for interpretation, but declining enrollment numbers are the telltale sign of a district in freefall. Go Parents!
No list of sketchy superintendents is complete without Scottsdale USD’s Scott Menzel. He is a freak show in his own right, accounting for the majority of the district’s media exposure. Menzel is widely known for shaming white people who don’t feel guilty about their skin color. Before vacating their seats, debased board members Zach Lindsay, Libby Hart-Wells, and Julie Cienawski extended Menzel’s contract through 2025. Under his “leadership,” SUSD chartered more student-led sexuality clubs, adopted an anti-police curriculum, and circulated hundreds of pornographic books in school libraries. As a result, in 2024, the Arizona School Administrators organization proudly named Menzel the National Superintendent of the Year (this title must be reserved for clowns).
Peoria USD has a slightly better handle on its administration problem since board president Heather Rooks removed Superintendent K.C. Somers from the dais. This establishes a clear separation of employer and employee while respecting the expertise each brings to the district. Unfortunately, though, Somers is developing a reputation for operating in subtle forms of manipulation and subversion, as if he’s trying to sabotage the board members he can’t control. I once attended a meeting where Somers yowled at board members when they ripped off the COVID-19 funding band-aid. Interestingly, before coming to Arizona, Somers was the superintendent of a Colorado school district steeped in scandal and cover-up. He would do well to note that PUSD residents won’t sit for that.
(Dis)honorable Mentions: Tolleson Union HS Superintendent Jeremy Calles morally and financially bankrupted his district. Former Mesa Public Schools Supt. Andi Fourlis oversaw an untold number of social gender transitions without parental knowledge. Tucson USD Supt. Gabriel Trujillo encouraged and attended a student-led drag show on campus, even after one teen was sexually abused by a high school counselor who organized the opening event. Chandler USD Supt. Frank Narducci declared a “week of kindness” and distributed 9-1-1 stickers after unchecked bullying led to one student’s murder and another student’s suicide. There’s more, but we’re out of time.
Those who can’t get elected apply for high-power jobs. Most K-12 superintendents have no campaign grit and no winning personality. Thus, they depend on compromised board members to execute their agenda. Superintendents don’t represent the whole community—they represent the educated community. They may be intellectual experts, but they don’t swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution, and they are not the final governing authority.
The board of education—elected officials who report to taxpayers (that’s you!)—hires the superintendent, and they ultimately decide what to approve or reject. No one is demanding perfection. Arizona families simply want integrity, transparency, and common sense. K-12 community members who experience dissatisfaction with bloated, overcompensated administrative teams should call, email, request meetings, alert the media, and speak at school board meetings. When superintendents refuse to operate within the scope and ability of their job description, expose them.
Tiffany Benson is the Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education. Her commentaries on education, politics, and Christian faith can be viewed at Parentspayattention.com and Bigviewsmallwindow.com. Follow on Facebook @TiffanyBenson and Instagram.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 26, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Tolleson Union High School District Superintendent Jeremy Calles found himself the subject of intense grilling at the hands of Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) Co-Chairmen Matt Gress and Mark Finchem during a three-hour hearing this week. Following the exchange, Gress told reporters that he and Finchem “will be reviewing our options with the Auditor General.”
The fiery hearing came about in response to concerns over a Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) leaseback deal with the Isaac Elementary School District that would see TUHSD purchase Isaac Middle School for $25 million with the elementary district then leasing the building at an interest rate of 6%.
Calles revealed in the hearing that he holds two professional roles, one as a consultant and the second as Superintendent, and he confirmed to the committee that initial conversations on the deal began in his role as a consultant.
He told the JLAC, “The first conversation I had came from a text message from, yes, the prior superintendent, Mr. Mario Ventura, who texted me and asked if I could take a look at his finances.”
Calles explained that when his district became involved, his role in the deal changed, although he claimed to have never billed for the conversation and never contracted with Isaac Elementary School District as a consultation client.
“This is not a new concept; the only thing novel on this idea is that both sides of the transaction, you have a school district. Everything else about this transaction, both sides of the transaction are not unseen,” he told lawmakers.
The Superintendent said that the agreement between the districts lacked a prepayment penalty, had no lock-in requirement, and aided the district in a financial crisis. He suggested that the benefit for TUHSD students was in generating up to $7 million in funding for the district. However, committee members balked at this suggestion, noting that although the district holds a “B” letter grade from the Arizona State Board of Education, only 30% of its students are proficient in Mathematics, English, and Language Arts.
Gress challenged him, “Here, you have not been able to demonstrate the $25 million financial transaction benefiting Tolleson Union students directly, given that you have no square footage, you’re not providing any learning services. It’s not even in your district so this is far beyond novel. I think you’ve made a mockery of our state law.”
He added, “I think you should be ashamed of yourself for the way you’ve mistreated taxpayers of Tolleson Union.”
The Superintendent was later asked by Rep. Carbone, “Why doesn’t every school district now just follow your lead and start making money and become a bank?”
In a reponse that appeared to show defiance, he said, “I don’t think every school district has a superintendent willing to stand in front of you like this.”
As reported by State 48 News, Calles confirmed that he utilizes his district office to conduct personal business during working hours. The outlet noted that under questioning it was further revealed that two members of the school district are also employed by the Superintendent through his consultancy.
When pressed to answer questions from Tolleson City Manager Reyes Medrano Jr., along with Police Chief Rudy Mendoza and former Superintendent Kino Flores regarding his conduct, including an alleged request for Tolleson to pay Calles’ real estate broker an $85,000 fee related to the district’s purchase of city land, Medrano suggested this violated state procurement laws.
“The 85 was going to be on top of the purchase price, and then we were supposed to pay the broker with it,” he told the committee. According to Medrano, Calles told him “it would be cleaner” to do so.
Calles lashed out in response, claiming the allegation “borderlines defamation.” He said in full: “I believe that borderlines defamation, the way he made that implication as if something nefarious was happening.”
Speaking with a reporter, Calles rejected the allegations saying that “they’re all lies. Do you see our improvement on the letter grade system? You see that our schools are moving up on their performance?”
The Superintendent told 12News that he expected the committee to request review of his conduct by the Arizona Auditor General and said, “When the Auditor General’s Office finally sends me someone, I’ll give them the full story.”
In a statement following the hearing, Gress said, “The hearing today revealed deeply troubling information that shows a pattern of disregard for public transparency. Combining public service with private consulting work, including using Tolleson District facilities and employees to support superintendent Calles’s consulting company reeks of corruption. Chairman Finchem and I will be reviewing our options with the auditor general.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 29, 2024 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Goldwater Institute released a report on Tuesday detailing the shocking expenditures of the Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD). According to the report, the district has blown a total of $76,969 “on what amounted to luxury vacations for school board members and administrators,” per public records obtained by Goldwater.
In the space of two days, the board reportedly shelled out $42,000 in hotel costs, $22,000 of which was for the catering. And this was all for just thirty people. The math works out to a brutal $700 per person, per day.
Christopher Thomas, Goldwater’s director of legal strategy for education policy, told AZFamily, “Those are monies that could have been spent on teacher salaries and educational programs for students.”
According to Goldwater, despite the public access requirements of the state of Arizona’s Open Meetings Law, these “Board and Administrator Retreats,” which act as long-form working meetings, are essentially hidden from the taxpayer. Furthermore, Goldwater reported that, “As a result of the noted board member absences, many of the meetings held during the $42,000 retreat in 2024 lacked even a board quorum (a majority of the five-member board), meaning that under the law, these were not lawful meetings of the board at all.”
Thomas explained that the retreats, “lacked transparency that’s required by the Open Meeting Law.”
Matters of great public interest were reportedly decided at these retreats, including strategies for improving student participation and graduation rates, student attendance rates and test scores, and budget priorities and academic goals, all away from public and parental oversight.
The costs revealed did not include transportation or the hourly pay of those involved, as many of them were effectively “clocked-in” during these “retreats.”
TUHSD reportedly indulged board members and administrators at two four star resorts in 2023 and 2024: the JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson and the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock. Notably, Goldwater observed that although records pertaining to these expenses were requested in July, they weren’t released until the middle of November… after new bond and a budget overrides were approved by Tolleson Union voters and a member of the governing board was safely re-elected.
At the JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson for the board’s two-day 2023 Board/Administrator Retreat, TUHSD reportedly paid $33,969 to the resort, which included $22,061 on catering. In 2024, the three day retreat at Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock ran up a tab of $42,154 for 36 people.
“The leaders in this school district do not fundamentally understand that they are working with public dollars, and that every one of those public dollars has got to be spent in a way that gives the maximum benefit to the taxpayer and accomplishes their educational mission,” Thomas said.
Comparatively, as Goldwater Institute and AZ Free News previously reported, the Creighton Elementary School District’s Governing Board and Administrative Team attended a three-day, $4,000-per-person “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) conference at a Napa Valley wine country resort in July, which also drew heavy criticism of district leaders.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
