Governor Hobbs Vetoes Bill to Make School Superintendent Salaries Public

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have required the state to publicly disclose the salaries and contracts of school district superintendents, their assistants, and chief financial officers.

The veto maintains secrecy around how much public school leaders are paid, despite calls for greater financial transparency from both Republicans and Democrats.

The bill, House Bill 2075, was sponsored by Republican state Rep. David Livingston and would have mandated that the Arizona Department of Education publish the contracts for all superintendents on its website.

Governor Hobbs vetoed the measure on April 13, 2026.

The vetoed bill would have required school districts to post their superintendent contracts online and send copies to the state Department of Education.

This bill fails to ensure that all options in the marketplace are held to the same level of transparency

Governor Hobbs wrote in her veto letter that Arizona has a robust school choice environment and the bill does not account for all education options available to families.

The Democratic governor argued that the measure would violate the privacy of public employees by disclosing personal information.

The bill had bipartisan support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne condemned the veto 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 released a statement criticizing the decision, noting that taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent.

ABC15 analysis found one school superintendent could earn about $475,000 this year in salary and other compensation across the state.

In 2025, ABC15 found more than a dozen Arizona school superintendents could make more than $300,000 in base pay and extra compensation.

The investigation obtained contracts of more than 100 Arizona district school superintendents through public records requests.

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

ABC15 found dozens of superintendents had bonuses, stipends, car allowances, and other perks that could increase their annual pay by more than $50,000.

The Arizona legislature could attempt to override Governor Hobbs veto, but would need a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to do so.

Other states have laws requiring school districts to post superintendent contracts or salaries on their websites.

Horne said he opposes the veto because he wants to ensure accountability for taxpayer dollars.

There is one who makes $400,000 plus benefits and is allowed to run side businesses. Taxpayers have the right to know that

Horne specifically mentioned one superintendent who earns $400,000 plus benefits and runs side businesses.

The governor did not directly mention Empowerment Scholarship Accounts in her veto letter, though she and Superintendent Horne have clashed over accountability for the voucher program that lets families use taxpayer dollars for private school tuition.

Horne has called for the state to tackle waste, fraud and abuse in the voucher program.

Horne released his statement saying the veto preserves the status quo where superintendent salaries remain shielded from public view.

The Arizona Legislature passed the bill in March 2026.

Governor Hobbs vetoed the bill on April 13, 2026.

The veto maintains the current system where superintendent pay remains shielded from public view.

District superintendents, their various assistants and chief financial officers should be accountable to the taxpayers who pay their salaries

Horne emphasized that district administrators should be accountable to the taxpayers who fund their salaries.