School district governing board members are the elected officials closest to the voter. Like any elected official, they have a critical role in local governance. Maricopa County has 58 school districts with membership ranging from three to seven members on each board, and members being elected to four-year terms.
An important role of the Maricopa County School Superintendent is to appoint governing board members when a vacancy arises between elections in one of the 58 public school districts in Maricopa County.
My main three criteria to serve on a governing board are:
- Caring about the local school district
- Being temperamentally ready to govern
- Being fiscally responsible (focus dollars to the classroom)
Since taking office in January of 2017, I have appointed over 84 school board members. I have personally interviewed hundreds of candidates who applied for these positions. In each case, I have appointed the individual who best represents the sensibilities of their school district, and is the best person to serve the district for its children, families and teachers.
It is an awesome responsibility that I take seriously. In the end, each individual I appoint reflects me and my commitment to every local school district. I am fair and non-partisan. Each applicant has an equal chance. With each appointment, my goal isn’t to make any special interest group happy or upset, but to appoint good people who will strengthen the district to provide the best education to our children.