Arizona Governor Vetoes Superintendent Salary Transparency Bill, Cites School Choice Concerns

Arizona school districts could now be required to post contracts for top administrators on their websites, but Governor Katie Hobbs has blocked that legislation.

In her veto letter, Governor Katie Hobbs said, "Arizona has a robust school choice environment," and "this bill fails to ensure that all options in the marketplace are held to the same level of transparency."

The veto comes as ABC15's investigation revealed that one Arizona school superintendent could earn about $475,000 this year in salary and other compensation. The station obtained contracts of more than 100 Arizona district school superintendents through public records requests. The investigation found dozens of superintendents had bonuses, stipends, car allowances, and other perks that could increase their annual pay by more than $50,000.

Many school districts approve their superintendent contracts in closed-door, executive sessions.

The Vetoed Bill

House Bill 2075, sponsored by Republican state Rep. David Livingston, would have required school districts to post on their websites the contracts for their superintendent, assistant/associate superintendents, and the chief financial officer. Those contracts would also have to be sent to the Arizona Department of Education.

The bill would have applied to both public and charter school districts.

State Superintendent Calls Veto 'Outrageous'

In response to the veto, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne blasted the governor's decision as "outrageous" and "a slap against accountability."

"This had support of both Republicans and Democrats, but the governor used her veto pen to make sure taxpayers are kept in the dark," Horne said.

"We have a lot of great superintendents, but, as an example, there is one who makes $400,000 plus benefits and is allowed to run side businesses. Taxpayers have the right to know that," Horne said. "District superintendents, their various assistants and chief financial officers should be accountable to the taxpayers who pay their salaries."

Horne's comments refer to an ABC15 investigation that found more than a dozen Arizona school superintendents could make more than $300,000 in base pay and extra compensation.

State Superintendent's Clout and Compensation

Tom Horne himself earned $358,907 in 2024, according to ABC15's analysis of superintendent contracts and salary data from across the state. His contract was among the 100+ contracts ABC15 obtained through public records requests.

Other Bills Also Vetoed

The governor also vetoed HB 2040, which would have required teachers to include adoption information whenever contraception, sexually transmitted diseases or sex education are brought up in the classroom.

Isela Blanc, community and legislative liaison for the Arizona Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, spoke against the bill at a recent hearing. She said it "does not improve education. It adds another layer of compliance to an already unworkable system and further discourages schools from offering any form of sex education instruction."

In Governor Hobbs' veto letter, she said the state should focus on finding solutions that put children in safe homes "instead of placing onerous burdens on public education institutions that require adoption information to be provided in inappropriate settings."

The governor also rejected HB 2008, which would have banned public school libraries from financially supporting any professional librarian support services.

In her veto letter, Hobbs called the bill a "shameful and misguided attack on public school librarians" and cited declining literacy rates.

Context of Arizona's School Choice Debate

Hobbs' veto reasoning ties directly to her position on Arizona's school choice programs. She did not directly mention Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, or ESAs, the voucher program that lets families use taxpayer dollars for private school tuition or homeschooling expenses.

However, Hobbs and Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne have clashed over accountability for ESAs in the past. Hobbs has called for the state to "tackle the waste, fraud and abuse" in the voucher program.

Statewide Context

In 2025, ABC15 found more than a dozen Arizona school superintendents could make more than $300,000 in base pay and extra compensation. The station's investigation also found several other states have laws requiring school districts to post superintendent contracts or salaries on their websites.