The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD), which has been accused of financial mismanagement, is refusing to turn over records to State Rep. Matt Gress (R-Phoenix). Gress requested the data on August 26 after a legislative audit hearing in July but has still not received them, even after sending a follow-up letter on September 17.
The misspending is getting increasing scrutiny since public school leadership and advocates claim that Arizona’s expansive school choice program is leaving them underfunded.
Gress, the House Education Committee Chairman, said in a press release on Thursday, “It has been 100 days since I asked for basic financial records from the Tolleson Union High School District. In that time, the district has refused to provide electronic copies, demanded more than $26,000 in fees meant to discourage oversight, and ignored repeated clarifications. No other public entity in Arizona has ever tried to block access to routine financial information.”
Public entities generally do not charge for electronic records, only for paper copies.
Read the rest of the article
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here for Arizona news once a week