The Liberty Elementary School District's Governing Board in the West Valley voted to put its current interim superintendent on paid administrative leave this week.
The interim superintendent, Trevor McDonald, started in July, and some parents told ABC15 they were satisfied with his work.
"He was there for two months, on campus, with parents. If you had a concern, he answered you. He met with you," said Ashley Wright, a parent in the school district.
The governing board voted 3-2 to put him on administrative leave with little explanation as to why, as the discussion took place behind closed doors in executive session. However, after the executive session, before voting, two board members explained their votes.
Kellie Zimmerman, who voted alongside Sarah Schmidt against putting the McDonald on leave, said in part, "By removing superintendent McDonald, this board is going to create instability for every single person in this district and violates the trust that the board, the community has put in this board. This also places the district at significant legal risk and liability under both state and federal law."
She continued, "Whether we’re going to turn a blind eye to allow patterns that have been happening in this district for years and years, a vote against Superintendent McDonald is a vote to shield the misconduct instead of addressing it. This community is counting on us, and I take it very seriously to make lawful, ethical and student-first decisions. Keeping Mr. McDonald does all of those things."
Board member Bryan Cirrincione responded, saying, "By putting him on leave, we are upholding the law. I can’t get into the discussion we had, and that’s all we’re going to say."
Both Wright and parent Virginia Ferron say they've been fighting for the board to reinstate McDonald since the vote on Tuesday.
"It’s an instability. It’s something that I am scared of every day, sending my kid to a place that doesn’t have the leadership and have such instability," Ferron said.
McDonald is the district's third superintendent in two years.
Both Lori Shough and Cort Monroe resigned before their contracts were up, and in separation agreements, they were each paid out. Shough was paid more than $130,000 and Monroe at more than $100,000. McDonald's current contract shows he's being paid a base salary of $178,000 for his contract that's scheduled through June 30, 2026.
"If they're doing something wrong, why are we paying them?" Wright questioned.
As to why the former superintendents resigned, community members have said Shough was pushed out by the board and the families were not happy with how Monroe led the district.
The board itself has had some turnover.
The current board president, Michael Todd, was previously on the board and resigned in September 2024 over how he felt the district leadership, under Monroe, handled an incident at a school.
Todd ended up running again for the school board that November but lost.
After that, Bryan Parks took over as board president, but for months, the community spoke out about their discontent with leadership as educators resigned from the district. Parks then resigned in February.
With Parks' vacant seat, Maricopa County Superintendent Shelli Boggs then appointed Todd back into the board in April, saying in part that Todd had a "solid grasp" of the financial situation in the district and had "solutions to restore fiscal stability."
“Mr. Todd brings a strong financial and business background, coupled with deep community involvement and an existing knowledge of the district,” said Superintendent Boggs said in a news release. “With a budget vote quickly approaching, Liberty needs someone who already understands the district’s financial structure, and that can lead from day one. This is not a political issue – it's a budget issue. We don’t have time to bring someone up to speed.”
Parents protested the appointment of Todd to the board.
"I don't know how long we’ll last as a district if we can’t get a stable superintendent in there because the teachers don't feel like they’re being supported by the board," Wright said. "And now, we don't have a superintendent to support them. And if they’re not being supported, they can’t support our students."
When ABC15 reached out to board members for comment on why McDonald is on leave, Todd responded, saying, "It's a personnel matter. Rest assured, the board treats these matters seriously and acts in the best interest of the school district." He continued on saying he couldn't say more.
"I just want support for our teachers and for them to actually put the kids first, not just say that they're putting the kids first. It certainly doesn't feel like my kids are put first," Ferron said.
