Liberty Elementary Board places interim superintendent McDonald on paid administrative leave after executive session

The Liberty Elementary District (4266) Board of Education voted 3-2 to place Interim Superintendent McDonald on paid administrative leave after a closed executive session held under Arizona law.

The board called the executive session to discuss the interim superintendent’s contract, conduct and possible discipline and to instruct the board’s attorneys on matters involving contracts that are subject to negotiation, citing Arizona statutes related to executive-session authority. After returning to general session, the board voted 3-2 to direct the district attorney to proceed as instructed during the closed session and separately voted 3-2 to place McDonald on paid administrative leave.

The executive session was opened by a motion that passed 5-0. The board cited ARS provisions for executive sessions to consult with legal counsel and consider personnel matters. The motion to direct the attorney to proceed as discussed in executive session passed by a 3-2 tally. The motion to place McDonald on paid administrative leave also passed 3-2. The transcript did not identify the individual members who moved or seconded every motion by name, and several verbal vote calls in the record were not fully resolved to a named roll-call; the counted tallies are recorded here as they appear in the meeting record.

Board discussion before the final vote included requests from board members to allow discussion; staff counsel permitted discussion. One speaker argued that removing McDonald would cause instability in the district and expose the district to legal risks, and urged the board to uphold the law and protect staff. Another speaker framed placing McDonald on leave as a way of upholding the law. The record attributes the exchange of procedural questions and permission to speak to Miss Siegel, identified in the transcript as a participant in the meeting.

Following the votes, members proposed future agenda items including a review of disciplinary action taken against Board Member Zimmerman and discussion of the district’s attorney. The board secretary announced special board meetings scheduled for Sept. 22, Oct. 6 and Oct. 27; those dates were presented as tentative.

The board took no additional formal actions on superintendent contract terms in open session; the actions taken were to direct legal counsel and to place the interim superintendent on paid administrative leave. The record notes the board will follow up as required by legal counsel and district policy.

The meeting record shows the board convened an extended executive session before returning for the votes in general session. The transcript does not specify the duration or effective dates of McDonald’s paid administrative leave or whether pay will continue indefinitely; those details were not specified in the public record available from the meeting transcript.