GLENDALE, AZ — An ABC15 investigation into superintendent salaries across more than 80 Arizona school districts also became a test of government transparency.
While school superintendent contracts are public records, obtaining some of them required a combination of strategies and months-long waiting periods to navigate bureaucratic obstacles.
Beginning in late April, the ABC15 investigators contacted school districts across Arizona, requesting three items: the most recent superintendent contract, a document breaking down the superintendent's total compensation, and names and salaries of all school employees earning more than $100,000 annually.
ABC15 used the contracts to calculate public school district superintendents’ salary and perks. You can look up superintendents' pay information from 84 Arizona school districts in the searchable database below.
"We do value transparency, and certainly there's nothing to hide," said Paul Tighe from Arizona School Administrators, which represents more than 1,500 education leaders statewide.
However, the ABC15's investigation uncovered numerous hurdles that slowed access to information. Many districts required requests to be resubmitted on specific paper forms, while others proposed charges far exceeding standard per-page fees.
The Glendale Elementary School District initially requested $3,671 to produce the information ABC15 requested. In response, the ABC15 Investigators asked for all fees to be waived since our journalists made the request in the public interest rather than for commercial purposes. Then, the district provided eight pages of documents at no charge within two weeks.
"It is absolutely a situation where the devil is in the details, and the devil is in the bureaucracy, and the devil is in how the law is written," said Chris Kline from the Arizona Media Association, which advocates for local radio, TV, print, and digital media.
Kline said Arizona's public records law is vague, which allows for wide latitude in how government agencies process requests and provide public information.
"The challenge oftentimes with government is that there are very prescriptive ways for how these public records are shared or not shared, and so these government entities tend to get stuck in a lot of bureaucracy," Kline said.
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ABC15's investigation also revealed inconsistent practices across districts. Some responded only after repeated emails and calls, while others required requests to be resubmitted through password-protected web portals. Several districts would only accept paper checks as payment, including the Cave Creek Unified School District, which required a $2 check to be mailed or dropped off in person.
"Still following the law, it can take weeks if not months, if not quarters to get access to something as simple as a couple of sheets of paper," Kline said. "Obviously, that's not great for democracy, and that is not great for freedom of information."
Kline noted that making public access easier may require changes to state law, although school districts could review their own policies to improve timeliness and transparency within the parameters of current law.
Some districts have already taken steps toward greater transparency. Flagstaff Unified School District and several others post their superintendent contracts online.
Superintendent Mike Penca is in his ninth year working for Flagstaff Schools.
"I think it's just the way we've done it since I got here, and I think it's a good practice," Penca said.
Penca’s contract for the 2024-2025 school year was worth about $190,000, when combining base salary and maximum performance bonus, and other listed perks.
You can reach Melissa by email at melissa.blasius@abc15.com or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @MelissaBlasius or Facebook.
