Buckeye Elementary School District—Report 2 of 2

From July 2016 through December 2021, the District paid to or on behalf of its superintendent over $1.7 million of “additional compensation.” This “additional compensation” brought the superintendent’s total compensation for that time to about $3.3 million, which was about 100 percent more than what the State’s 3 largest districts spent, on average, on superintendent compensation, resulting in a possible gift of public monies. Also, inconsistent with the core purpose of public records laws, the District omitted “additional compensation” amounts and other critical information in 2 of the superintendent’s employment agreements. Moreover, because the District miscalculated “required withholdings” related to the “additional compensation,” an estimated $571,256 of the over  $1.7 million was paid beyond employment agreement terms. We have submitted our report to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for appropriate action.