Public still in dark about why Mesa superintendent was placed on leave
A day after the state’s largest school district held a special meeting and placed Superintendent Ember Conley on paid administrative leave, parents, students and staff of Mesa Public Schools remain in the dark about the reasons behind it.
District officials have refused to disclose the reasons for the suspension, saying only that it was not discipline-related and issuing a cryptic news release wishing Conley “well in future endeavors.”
Conley has been with the district since March 2018.
Spokeswoman Helen Hollands told The Arizona Republic that it’s possible the public may never know the reason for the board’s decision because it was made in a closed-door board session.
But some records and minutes from recent governing board meetings raise questions about how the district, under Conley’s leadership, was spending money.
Mesa’s last school year was nearly $800,000 over its budgeted adminis
trative costs. Board members this summer approved more than $400,000 in bonuses for district executives for the 2019-20 school year, according to records.
Mesa Unified earlier this month then sought — and won — a $54 million voter-approved budget override, funded by local property taxes. Those taxpayer funds are partly to cover teacher salaries and classroom costs.
Now, the district risks losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in severance if the board ultimately chooses to fire Conley.
More spending on administration
School board members approved the bonuses, awarded to more than a dozen members of the superintendent’s cabinet including assistant superintendents and the school’s chief financial officer, in June. The approval came at the very end of the meeting, according to meeting minutes.
The district spent $758,299 million more in its general administration budget, which includes executive salaries, in budget year 2019 than it spent in 2018. In budget year 2019, which ended this summer, Mesa spent $3,526,507 on general administration, which was more than the budgeted amount of $2,768,208.
The executive team bonuses approved in June added $22,500 in bonuses each to all 15 members of the superintendent’s cabinet.
Deputy and assistant superintendents were also granted $8,000 in taxsheltered annuities while the other executive team members were granted $6,000 in annuities.
Four executive team members — two assistant superintendents, the CFO and the chief technology officer — received $5,000 increases to their base salaries.
Such bonuses are not uncommon for executive staff in the district, according to district documents.
Also, spending on what’s designated as “purchased services” rose to $1,247,330 in 2019 from $261,193 in 2018. It’s unclear why the district spent more in that category. That category typically covers contracts that serve administrative needs, such as some IT services.
Superintendent could get payout
It appears the board is moving toward finalizing Conley’s departure.
But pushing her out of the district may cost hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars.
According to Conley’s contract, if Mesa’s board terminates her, the district would still have to pay her through the end of the contract, which ends in mid-2021. Conley’s base pay was set at $225,000 in 2018.
She would also be eligible to receive payouts for unused sick days up to 240 days at 55% percent of her daily rate and unused vacation days up to 60 days at her full daily rate.
Cashing out the superintendent’s sick days at maximum would cost the district about $114,000. Sixty unused vacation days would cost the district about $52,000.