By Adam Andrzejewski for RealClearPolicy
A school superintendent in Maricopa County, Arizona made $1.7 million in extra compensation from 2016 to 2021 on top of her $189,000 annual salary, according to a report from the Arizona Auditor’s Office. This sum that was hidden from taxpayers, parents, and district employees.
The money was not listed on the employment records of Dr. Kristi Wilson, superintendent of the Buckeye Elementary School District, made up of eight schools and nearly 5,500 students.
Parents and teachers are angry that this lavish compensation package was hidden from them while the school district claimed to be in rough financial shape, according to Arizona Republic.
Maria Moreno, a first-grade teacher and President of the Buckeye Education Association, said, “I think we all just felt very betrayed in a sense because we believed there was no money for raises, yet she was getting a very good compensation package, compared to teachers and staff in the district,” according to AZ Family.
The Buckeye Education Association petition calling for Dr. Wilson’s resignation has over 500 signatures.
The school board defended the extravagant additional compensation, claiming that these were payroll deductions sent to the Arizona State Retirement System. They also claim the level of compensation is necessary to attract and retain top talent.
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Stories like these underscore the importance of aggressive transparency and oversight. Parents and teachers deserve to know the whole story about their school district’s finances and hold those in power to account when necessary.
Syndicated with permission from Real Clear Wire.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.
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