BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Dozens of teachers and parents appeared before the Buckeye Elementary School District Governing Board on Monday to demand accountability after the district allegedly paid up to $1.7 million in extra compensation to Superintendent Kristi Wilson.
A recent audit revealed Wilson could have potentially been overpaid between 2016 and 2021, placing her salary in an income bracket that's above superintendents from comparable districts.
A majority of the $1.7 million in extra compensation was paid toward retirement credits on behalf of the superintendent and not directly to Wilson. But auditors have questioned whether the extra payments were worth the cost and some of Buckeye's teachers are also starting to question the district's choices.
In response to the revelations about Wilson's salary, some district employees appeared before the school board Monday night and told the board they were "enraged" and "embarrassed" by the audit's findings.
"The money put toward Dr. Wilson's retirement could have been put to much better use," said Misty Porche, a Buckeye Elementary School teacher, during Monday's school board meeting.
According to the Arizona Education Association, more than 600 people have signed a petition stating they have "no confidence" in Wilson's leadership.
The district has defended its decision to pay extra compensation to Wilson, claiming the payout was valid and part of a deal to keep Wilson from leaving Buckeye.
"A school district's payments to its superintendent have a public purpose as that individual is responsible for the efficient administration of all matters related to the education of the district's 5,878 students and 727 staff members," the district wrote in a letter to auditors.
Holli Sierra, another teacher in the district, said the board should have considered the many low-income students attending Buckeye's schools before choosing to spend public funds on the superintendent's behalf.
"The board should then realize every dollar we spend above what is morally necessary to supply a salary -- even if it goes toward retirement -- is one dollar out of the mouths and hands of the students," Sierra told the board.
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