Arizona should take over district
 
Editorials
The Spectrum
 
The law will allow the Arizona Board of Education to appoint a receiver to oversee the financial and personnel matters of the district, which has been under investigation after what can only be described at best as woeful tracking of public funds.

In fact, the district ran out of funds last year and had to have an insurance trust pay money owed to teachers.

Rarely do we like to see local officials lose control of any agency or service. In general, decisions are best made by the people who live and work in the community - in this case, people who know the challenges faced by teachers and students.

But this is an exception. A criminal investigation has resulted in law enforcement officials hauling away computers, records and other materials from the district offices. The school district missed payroll more than once and ran out of money before the end of the last school year.

District officials also missed deadlines to the state for filing budget reports.

All of that casts a cloud over the district and demands that the state step in to take control.

Some critics will use the religion card to argue that district officials are being persecuted for their beliefs. While it is true that Colorado City is a haven for members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which practices polygamy as part of its doctrine, this decision has nothing to do with religion.

Instead, it has everything to do with making sure taxpayers' money is being spent wisely. The district's track record on that issue is woeful.

The state of Arizona should step in and take over administration of the district until district officials can prove that they can properly account for the finances.

Otherwise, more problems could persist that will, ultimately, harm the education of the children in the community.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published August 11, 2005
 
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