Arizona Education Needs More Resources And More Accountability
The public deserves answers when it comes to how their money is being spent.
A note to our readers: Today we are joined by Arizona State Representative Matt Gress. Rep. Gress has served the people of Phoenix and Scottsdale since 2022.
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As a reminder, this is an opinion piece and does not necessarily represent the views of this publication.
As a former public school teacher and school board member, and now as a state representative, I have dedicated my career to ensuring that every dollar of taxpayer money invested in our public education system is spent where it matters most — in the classroom, directly benefiting our students and teachers.
I’ve championed more dollars for school. My Pay Teachers First Plan would give every Arizona teacher a $10,000 raise directly into their paychecks, without being funneled through school administration. It’s something both parties can get behind. Supporting our teachers shouldn’t be a partisan issue.
That’s why I’m so troubled by a pair of recent reports from the Goldwater Institute and the Arizona Auditor General’s Office that highlight instances of financial mismanagement in some of Arizona’s school districts.These reports reveal a pattern of wasteful spending that cannot be ignored. These findings are not just numbers on a page; they represent a betrayal of the trust that Arizona taxpayers have placed in our education system. As someone who believes in the transformative power of public education, I find these revelations both alarming and disheartening.
There are three school districts in particular that should be emphasized:
Misuse of funds in the Phoenix Elementary School District
One of the most concerning instances of financial mismanagement involves the Phoenix Elementary School District. According to the Goldwater Institute, the district’s governing board approved the use of taxpayer dollars to send a school board member to the 2024 Local Progress Conference in Oakland, California. The conference’s agenda was not focused on educational development or student outcomes; instead, it promoted partisan politics and activism. This is not where our education dollars should be going.
Under public scrutiny, district officials ultimately canceled the trip. However, the fact that it was approved in the first place raises serious questions about the priorities of those responsible for overseeing the district’s finances. At a time when we are facing a teacher shortage and are repeatedly told that there are not enough funds to increase teacher salaries, it is unacceptable for any school district to allocate money for what can only be described as a politically motivated junket.
Wasteful spending in Baboquivari Unified School District
The issue of financial mismanagement is not isolated to the Phoenix Elementary School District. The Auditor General’s Office recently released a report detailing nearly $500,000 in unnecessary and wasteful travel expenses by the Baboquivari Unified School District, located an hour southwest of Tucson. Among the most egregious examples was a two-day out-of-state conference that cost approximately $342,000. This expenditure, along with many others, exceeded state guidelines and lacked the required approvals.
This kind of reckless spending is a slap in the face to the taxpayers who fund our education system and to the teachers and students who are shortchanged as a result. These are funds that could have been used to provide better resources for classrooms, improve school facilities, or, most importantly, increase teacher salaries. Instead, they were wasted on lavish trips that do little to nothing to improve the quality of education in Arizona.
Ongoing issues in Gadsden Elementary School District
Perhaps even more troubling is the situation in the Gadsden Elementary School District. A performance audit conducted by the Auditor General in 2020 uncovered a series of financial mismanagement issues, including paying employees for time not worked, limiting public access to governing board meetings, and wasting $65,000 on unnecessary travel. Additionally, the district lacked proper oversight of its transportation program.
Fast forward 30 months, and a follow-up report reveals that the Gadsden District has yet to address seven of the 13 findings from the original audit. Most notably, the district has failed to implement basic financial accountability measures, such as segregating the responsibilities for entering and updating employee pay and benefit information. This failure previously led to fraud, with one employee caught stealing approximately $8,000. Despite this incident, the district has shown a troubling lack of urgency in addressing these issues.
This ongoing lack of accountability is unacceptable. Audits conducted by the Arizona Auditor General are not just bureaucratic exercises; they are critical tools for ensuring that our public institutions are operating efficiently, effectively, and legally. When a school district fails to act on the findings of an audit, it not only undermines the integrity of the process but also erodes public trust.
The Need for Better Stewardship and Accountability
These examples paint a clear picture of a systemic problem in Arizona’s education system: a lack of proper oversight and accountability when it comes to the use of taxpayer funds. This is not just about a few bad apples; it is about a culture of complacency and entitlement that has taken root in some of our school districts. This culture must change.
As a state representative and chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, I am committed to making sure our taxpayers dollars get to where the taxpayers expect them to — in this case, the classroom. The misuse of public funds is not just a financial issue; it is a moral one. Every dollar that is wasted on unnecessary travel or political conferences is a dollar that could have been spent on improving our schools, supporting our teachers, and providing our students with the quality education they deserve.
To address this issue, I will continue to push for greater transparency and increased oversight of school district spending. I will also work to ensure that the findings of audits are taken seriously and that districts are held accountable for implementing the necessary changes. The public deserves answers when it comes to how their money is being spent.
Matt Gress is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing Legislative District 4. He formerly served as the Director of Arizona Governor's Office of Strategic Planning & Budgeting under Gov. Doug Ducey.