[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",7362442,"mediaKeyId","2245733-aa0234dfc17e5bd65ba96aa43f03acda","parentId",2245733,"title","Cartwright told it faces about $2.1 million in IRS penalties dating to 2017 and 2023","audioSeconds",227,"startMs",2652640,"endMs",2880380,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245733-aa0234dfc17e5bd65ba96aa43f03acda&start=2652&end=2880","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245733-aa0234dfc17e5bd65ba96aa43f03acda/thumbnail_2652640.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/7362442/Arizona/Cartwright-told-it-faces-about-21-million-in-IRS-penalties-dating-to-2017-and-2023","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7362442-bb1860bc833d8819915a0ec691fac8cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770742039&Signature=gFaUB5OMq9kXJSNg4nSWBxMdSsi2GEjrYS~J25Mco7gXpFnJAgumelWHPZ89k3dT~38CsaRXV4aH6pBp~lVRrvvDNYSM1x0c3t0gzMwb9TRJuz9yt9VRY9M5P8DDQ5vyXlh8njpkfE3mfz4PT6zmbAQDrEygU3rYqY6s4MnBnfAzlb-HeH6twWpFxS9aB2b7REhdWy-SH3pw~LYRdLj2gsXXRnX7waZQPL5pTsrhINBiYeSMpB2Bt1dFI9RLeayPcyLeBqCEgJ1TGdMeD7hsEn6kzIpnP1WXv80N7vdwEdVN6rOepseA~28ZxOxInR~OCD131pD56wayhgCgvEEm3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cartwright Elementary District (4282)","date","2025-02-07T00:17:36.103Z","article","Derek Ethridge, executive director of business services, told the Cartwright Elementary District governing board on Feb. 6 that the district faces roughly $2.1 million in penalties and fees owed to the Internal Revenue Service.

Ethridge said the largest portion — about $1.6 million — stems from a failure to furnish Form 1095 to employees for tax year 2017 and from not filing those forms with the IRS. He said a separate set of payroll-related errors tied to Form 941 filings produced roughly $500,000 in additional penalties, bringing the total to about $2,100,000. \"Overall, the penalties and fees are about $2,100,000,\" Ethridge told the board.

Ethridge told the board the district has pursued legal counsel and appealed the larger 2017 penalty but the IRS denied the appeal; the transcript places the final denial in August 2020. He said the costs will be paid from the district's indirect cost fund, not from maintenance-and-operations dollars, and that the district has taken organizational steps — including hiring a payroll administrator and working with the Valley Schools Benefit Group and consultants — to prevent recurrence.

Board members asked clarifying questions about oversight. Ethridge said benefits administration historically sat with the human-resources function and that payroll is under his office; he acknowledged turnover in payroll staff after the longtime payroll specialist retired and said new staff and supervisory changes contributed to the filing errors.

Next steps recorded in the meeting include continued work with legal counsel, short-term payment planning from the indirect cost fund, and internal controls intended to ensure timely Forms 1095 and 941 filings going forward. The board indicated it wants follow-up financial reports and further detail at upcoming meetings.

The governing board heard the report during its Feb. 6 meeting and scheduled the next regular session for Feb. 20, 2025.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Governing Board Meeting 2/6/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The district's executive director of business services told the board the penalties stem from a failure to furnish Form 1095 in 2017 (about $1.6 million) and errors with payroll/941 filings (about $500,000); the district plans to pay from the indirect cost fund and has added payroll oversight.","taxTitle","Cartwright Elementary District (4282), School Districts, Arizona","taxId",13620,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},7362440,"Meet-and-Confer team outlines pay, benefits and longevity priorities; district absorbs health insurance cost",333,1244915,1578885,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245733-aa0234dfc17e5bd65ba96aa43f03acda&start=1244&end=1578","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245733-aa0234dfc17e5bd65ba96aa43f03acda/thumbnail_1244915.jpg","/articles/7362440/Arizona/Meet-and-Confer-team-outlines-pay-benefits-and-longevity-priorities-district-absorbs-health-insurance-cost","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7362440-d2ddeed5ed2965403b4ac08eabc0cecd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770742039&Signature=M-1P4L~LT7QZyC7x9iii6qyDj8G2Gp4c5~J~bznaJFFeCV~YDIUM-Nl~0w~tM4zOGa0oXCxM0IXXvdgV~7b-GwUSVXfj1QcxXngbOzTl-t6dvVchoB6IBnYylNN~8eI65Yc-SLMl2LVqkNeqvTAn949zDuQ9o6ks6kDdvxzZAs3nPZ4RbqnJo4A8QHc9LfVP8R-1VZHuikwq9DMQP1CEObcCE542GpUYOU6IIY9vhm85QdpCP21A9vtwnyqxJKpSSvXbvZFwzXqo8BAbFRzZArYA3XL6DfJ~ZTqOS3oZ4zY9CqttWmpupUXsdfbZJrF4eDqFXwANkKjMDkZ~BExyGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Superintendent Giovanna Grijalva and teacher and CEA representative Jessie Lee presented the Meet-and-Confer team's priorities for 2024–25 to the Cartwright Elementary District governing board on Feb. 6.

Grijalva said the teams top priorities — driven by a districtwide survey — are certified staff salaries, insurance and benefits, and stipends. Jessie Lee told the board the prior years focus had been Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) and related schedules; this year the team shifted to certified staff (teachers, counselors and TOSAs). Lee said ESP increases awarded last year varied by placement on the schedule because of the state minimum-wage changes, with increases ranging \"anywhere from... $2 to down to 50 cents\" depending on placement.

Grijalva said the district provides health insurance for qualified staff and estimated the annual cost at about $12,000,000. She described other district priorities under review, including extra-duty contracts, sick-leave accruals, a longevity program and aligning the employee handbook to district policy. Board members asked how full-time status and benefits eligibility are defined; presenters said full-time is generally 30 hours or more and that crossing-guard or before-school-care hours vary by assignment.

Board members also asked for detail on ESP counts; presenters discussed an approximate number of ESP/classified employees (transcript references '988' and figures near 900), and agreed to follow up with precise numbers. Grijalva said the Meet-and-Confer team will reconvene as needed and that a subsequent meeting was scheduled for the coming Monday.

The meeting record shows board interest in continued reporting and in receiving written follow-up on the salary schedules, insurance costs and implementation of longevity and extra-duty adjustments.","Deputy Superintendent Giovanna Grijalva and teacher representative Jessie Lee summarized Meet-and-Confer priorities for 2024–25: certified staff salaries, insurance/benefits and stipends, plus district work on extra-duty contracts, sick-leave accrual and alignment of handbook to policy; presenters said the district currently absorbs health insurance costs (about $12,000,000).",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},7362439,"Public commenters and board members press Cartwright for transparency; requests for executive session and governance review",319,745195,1064830,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245733-aa0234dfc17e5bd65ba96aa43f03acda&start=745&end=1064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245733-aa0234dfc17e5bd65ba96aa43f03acda/thumbnail_745195.jpg","/articles/7362439/Arizona/Public-commenters-and-board-members-press-Cartwright-for-transparency-requests-for-executive-session-and-governance-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7362439-39f535eae5e9ac648152c69f1d90b5aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770742039&Signature=hCSUMgwzc7up-tN65zrpYas1EKQL~zez9o2WM2f8LaPx5k4oSj64hjfc2BH6K7MUoBmZRszMYysbxqXyrvYvFTAEnRQQkPaEgmpWN46DILUSTM5h0DzR7gCdDaKbf~T0mUWkxvi9lsC0HQlyhe7ySAWKCzEQfjFc3i4BXNwU7wTYEUzxU2ZPcHqoOaRqs3cMgVHbSUk5-mDle~~zXLl3QA7ULOl6I4-csh6Vtevn2a98A6-RnqaB8aRk0jZIldlu~ULdmdhm7jupeEaaAeG9AOCcpPWe2tyIiCYMB9C4z8KFo8LmpSVP6KVuSRPWp0omv-VKo0r~0rmEH~918rxTaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the Feb. 6 meeting of the Cartwright Elementary District governing board, public commenters raised allegations about the appointment of an interim superintendent and asked the board to address perceived conflicts of interest and transparency concerns.

Wendy Mariscal and Cecilia Moreno spoke during the call-to-public. Mariscal asked the board to \"realign your actions with the values and the transparency and accountability that our scholars and this community deserve\" and directly questioned President Lydia Hernandez and another board member about continuing to sit on the board as close relatives \"in defiance of the Arizona statute.\" Moreno asked whether a board member knew the appointee had been \"allegedly accused of misuse in funding\" before voting to appoint that person as interim superintendent; the president curtailed the comment under the meetings public-comment time limits.

Later in the meeting, Board Member Denise Garcia requested an executive session to receive updates about the administrative-leave investigation of Emma Hategui and asked for clear definitions of executive-director supervisory responsibilities. Garcia also sought details about declining enrollment, bond timelines and whether $65,000,000 in bond funds had been \"missing or spent,\" prompting back-and-forth about whether that characterization had been stated by the president.

At adjournment, Garcia apologized \"to this community and to everyone in this room for the unethical practices\" she associated with board conduct. Board Member Jennifer Romero repeated on the record that \"we as a board are out of compliance with Arizona State statutes\" while explaining her vote to adjourn. The board moved to adjourn and scheduled a follow-up meeting for Feb. 20.

The meeting record shows several requested follow-ups (executive session, bylaw review, financial clarifications) but no immediate formal board actions on personnel or the specific allegations during this Feb. 6 session.","Public commenters alleged conflicts of interest and questioned the interim superintendent appointment; board members requested follow-up items including an executive session on the administrative-leave investigation, clarification of executive-director roles, bond timeline review and bylaw/procedures review.","actionData","errors"]

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Cartwright told it faces about $2.1 million in IRS penalties dating to 2017 and 2023

Meet-and-Confer team outlines pay, benefits and longevity priorities; district absorbs health insurance cost

Public commenters and board members press Cartwright for transparency; requests for executive session and governance review