The Festival Ranch Republican Club recently hosted an educational forum, inviting the three Republican candidates in the primary running for Maricopa County School Superintendent to speak. This race holds significant importance amidst allegations of financial mismanagement and an increased focus on education in Arizona. The incumbent, Steve Watson, and challenger, Nickie Kelley, attended the forum. The second challenger, Shelli Boggs did not attend due to a scheduling conflict.
Kelley previously told The Arizona Sun Times that the stakes were high for Republicans to maintain control of this office. She noted that in 2016, Watson beat the incumbent Democrat by about 36,000 votes. In 2020, he defeated the Democratic candidate by only 11,000 votes. But this year, Democrats have a formidable candidate running and Watson (pictured above, left) has battled negative allegations for years regarding mismanagement of funds.
The Republican Candidates
Maricopa County Superintendent Steve Watson holds a Bachelor’s in Spanish and a Master’s in education. With 15 years of classroom experience, he emphasized language and reading during his tenure. Married for 20 years with six children, Watson’s philosophy advocates for supporting teachers and respecting homeschooling parents’ autonomy. He has appointed over 100 school board vacancies, primarily Republicans, prioritizing the selection of suitable candidates. Although his appointments have drawn scrutiny from both ends of the political spectrum, Watson maintains that it’s crucial to appoint the right person whenever a vacancy arises.
During the event, Watson explained to the crowd that his office is responsible for running an Accommodation School District. By law, he isn’t allowed to run a deficit, and any deficit would require reporting to the State Board of Education. He admitted that this school is the source of many financial allegations. When asked about the claims of financial mismanagement, Watson stated that they largely stem from his opponents in the race, dismissing them as “irrational rhetoric.” Furthermore, he claimed that the yearly audits were routine and agreed to the pending forensic audit, stating that the Board of Supervisors requested it “just to make sure that everything is okay.”
Boggs (pictured above, right), a mom and longtime community leader, has been an educator for 13 years. With a background in teaching English, resource classes, and career technical education, she ran for the Governing Board of the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) in 2018. Since then, as board president, she has overseen significant improvements, doubling enrollment, reducing administration costs, and ensuring no radical politics in classrooms. She also secured funding for a transitional living facility for foster children and initiated the first surgical tech program at EVIT. Boggs has the support and endorsements of many notable Arizonans.
Kelley (pictured above, middle) is a mom of two children and married to an Arizonan judge. She began her career on Capitol Hill, where she navigated complex federal budget issues and handled city budgets for the Phoenix City Council office. Transitioning to education in 2017, she taught across various school settings, from rural and charter to public and Maricopa schools, spanning elementary through high school. Presently, she teaches math and physics at Tolleson High School.
During the event, Kelley outlined her vision, expressing her intention to provide comprehensive training for school board members on crucial topics such as financial management, Roberts rules, maintenance, Title IX, and bonds and overrides. She also plans to establish a Youth and Parent Advisory Council and advocate for transparency.
At Festival Ranch, she emphasized the importance of citizen oversight, and Kelley highlighted her commitment to restoring trust in the Maricopa Superintendent’s Office. Drawing on her leadership experience at various levels of governance, she aims to prioritize accountability and transparency. Furthermore, Kelley identifies addressing financial challenges as a key priority, leveraging her background in federal and city budget management, coupled with her unique perspective as a math and physics teacher, to steer the office back to fiscal stability. Kelley also has the support and endorsements of prominent leaders.
Allegations of Financial Mismanagement
In 2022, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors uncovered financial mismanagement within the Accommodation School District, solely overseen by Watson. Despite the district’s balanced budget for fiscal year 2022 on paper, it spent approximately $2 million without a valid source of revenue, leading to reliance on a line of credit without collateral. The board took action by approving the use of up to $2.05 million in taxpayer funds to repay this debt. Furthermore, audits revealed multiple instances where revenue was improperly deposited, violating accounting principles. Additionally, the superintendent failed to execute the budget as presented to the BOS and lacked documentation for nearly $1.7 million in federal grant spending, potentially requiring repayment to the federal government. “In essence, the Accommodation School District spent money they didn’t have,” said Bill Gates, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, District 3. “Even worse, after we confronted them about it, they took out another line of credit for which they had no collateral.”
The Sun Times asked Watson about these claims, which he denied. He also said that he believed the audit results would be favorable.
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Christy Kelly is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Christy on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nickie Kelley” by Nickie Kelley. Photo “Shelli Boggs” by Shelli Boggs.
