PHOENIX — Another Arizona school district is now without a leader, the Phoenix Elementary School board voted to cut ties with its superintendent, Dr. Ibi Davila Haghighat.
Haghighat started her role as superintendent in July 2022, replacing Dr. Larry Weeks, who worked with the district for 10 years and retired. On Tuesday, November 14, in a 3 to 2 vote, board members decided to separate from Haghighat.
No reason was given as to why they cut ties with her. When three of the board members voted yes, they gave no explanations. However, the two who voted against spoke out.
“I've seen no proof of having to go this route. In a time where we're in the middle of the school year, I've been a teacher for eight years, this is why I left the classroom because of the toxicity because students are not being prioritized because of infighting like this,” said board member Reggie Carrillo.
Carrillo mentioned in the board meeting that he did not feel like the board was being open and mentioned that other school districts have done the same. These are sentiments he has heard from his own constituents who wrote in, he said.
“It's a shame that we're following in those footsteps because we don't know those districts. And the districts that have made those decisions did without being transparent to their community,” said Carrillo.
Haghighat now joins other superintendents within the last year or two to leave before their contracts ended, whether they “mutually” agreed to part ways, resigned or retired. This includes the Apache Junction Unified School District, Casa Grande Union High School District, the Dysart Unified School District and others. Some of those school boards had to pay out their superintendents and, in some cases, six figures.
Carrillo said Phoenix Elementary will have to pay out Haghighat as well.
“Over $330,000 and that money is still going to climb to part ways with the superintendent is unreasonable,” he said in the board meeting.
According to the Arizona School Administrators Association, that money will likely come out of the maintenance and operations budget, which means the district may need to redirect its funds.
“Any expense for termination of a leader who is performing well is fiscally irresponsible and takes resources away from the district while doing nothing to support student achievement,” said Paul Tighe, the executive director of the Arizona School Administrators Association.
The district said it has named Dr. Deborah Gonzalez as interim superintendent. Gonzalez was the chief academic officer for the district for the last three years.
The Phoenix Elementary School District said they’re now searching for a new superintendent and shared a statement with ABC15:
"Last week, the Phoenix Elementary School District Governing Board voted to begin negotiations to end the employment agreement between the District and the superintendent, Dr. Ibi Dávila Haghighat. Yesterday, during a special board meeting, the board placed Dr. Haghighat on administrative leave and named Dr. Deborah Gonzalez as the Interim Superintendent. Dr. Gonzalez has served as the Chief Academic Officer for three years. She has worked in all levels of K-12 education as a teacher, administrator, curriculum developer, and district level leader.
We realize that transitions such as this are sometimes challenging, but our District Leadership, in partnership with our Governing Board, will do everything we can to make this transition a positive experience. Our operations will not slow down or stop. We will continue our work and commitment to ensuring all Phoenix #1 students receive a high-quality education.
The Governing Board and District Leadership are working diligently toward ensuring success for the rest of the school year and beyond, putting the best interests of our students at the forefront.
As the District begins searching for a new superintendent, we will keep the community updated on the progress and ways they will be able to provide input into the hiring of a new superintendent for Phoenix #1.
We thank the Phoenix #1 community for trusting us with your children. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We will continue striving for the best of our District, using our mission of Inspiring Every Child to Achieve as our guiding light."
