EDUCATION

Scottsdale schools chief put on paid leave for 'best interest of the district'

The Republic | azcentral.com

Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Denise Birdwell listens during a governing-board meeting Jan. 30, 2018. The board accepted the resignation of former CFO Laura Smith, who resigned after payments to a company she had ties with were reported.

The Scottsdale school board unanimously voted to place embattled Superintendent Denise Birdwell on paid administrative leave Wednesday "in consideration of the best interest of the district."

Board President Barbara Perleberg's only other comment was "that counsel for the district proceed as directed in executive session."

The public vote followed a long, closed-door session in which the five-member board obtained legal advice on issues related to ongoing probes into the district's use of an outside architecture firm for school-construction projects and conflicts of interest related to the district's former chief financial officer.

The Scottsdale Unified School District hired an outside attorney to look into the allegations in November. The Arizona Attorney General's Office in December confirmed its investigation of the district's use of outside contractors.

Scottsdale schools' official cites 'personal threats and attacks' in resignation letter

The vote to place Birdwell on administrative leave comes a week after she announced that one of her top hires, Chief Operations Officer Louis Hartwell, will resign at the end of the budget year.

Another of her hires, Chief Financial Officer Laura Smith, resigned last month as the district review identified conflicts of interest.

Scottsdale schools' review of ex-CFO shows conflicts of interest

Report: Embattled Scottsdale schools' CFO Laura Smith resigns

On Wednesday, the board voted to accept Hartwell's resignation on June 30 and directed legal counsel to proceed with instructions discussed during the executive session.

An interim superintendent was not named during the special board meeting.

A district spokeswoman said, "As this is an ongoing personnel matter, no further details can be shared at this time."

Scottsdale Unified School District board President Barbara Perleberg (right) speaks during a governing-board meeting Jan. 30, 2018. The board accepted the resignation of former CFO Laura Smith, who resigned after payments to a company she had ties with were reported.

Birdwell joined the district as interim superintendent in January 2016 and was given the permanent job later that year. She hired Smith and Hartwell.

Smith resigned in January as the district's investigation reported she facilitated the district hiring of a consulting company that she previously ran and her sister now leads. Records also show Smith signed off on purchases from the company, Professional Group Public Consulting.

Initially, board members and Birdwell said they did not learn of the possible conflicts of interest involving Smith until late 2017. The Arizona Republic obtained an email that a resident sent to two board members, who forwarded it to Birdwell, much earlier. The superintendent told The Republic she should have looked into the allegations sooner.

"I discounted them. Hindsight being 20/20, I regret not researching the accusation (involving Smith) immediately," Birdwell said to The Republic in an email.

Birdwell has known Hartwell personally and professionally for years. She hired him in October 2016, saying he was the most qualified applicant for the job. Hartwell is the brother of Birdwell's landlady and housemate.

Parents and residents concerned about the rebuild of Hopi Elementary School in Arcadia began raising questions about Hartwell's qualifications and the outside firm, Hunt & Caraway Architects, handling the work.

Hartwell's Scottsdale schools application does not list any completed college degree.

Among the references that Hartwell lists is Brian Robichaux, the former principal owner of Hunt & Caraway Architects. The Republic reported in December that Robichaux was convicted of felony theft in 1998.

A campaign formed by community and education groups has called on the board to fire Birdwell and to form a committee to select her replacement. A rally drew hundreds in support of the campaign last week.

The district's teachers union issued a rare vote of "no confidence" against district leadership in January, amid the heightened tensions in the district that enrolls some 24,000 students in 30 schools.

"The public trust in our school district is gone. It will probably get worse before it gets better as it is necessary for every administrator that Birdwell has brought to our district to get a hard look," said Dana Fuller, a Scottsdale parent and member of Act Now, which is leading the campaign to oust Birdwell.

Fuller said Birdwell's termination could "get us on a better path where we have transparency and accountability and a healthier environment for our teachers and students."

Scottsdale school board race may be crowded as 10 show early interest

Scottsdale district's spending under investigation by Arizona attorney general