Cartwright board adopts minimum qualifications, appoints Steve Watson as acting superintendent

The Cartwright Elementary District Governing Board on Jan. 23 adopted minimum qualifications for an acting superintendent and voted to appoint Steve Watson as the district’s acting superintendent on a temporary, at‑will contract while the interim superintendent is on administrative leave with pay.

The board approved the qualifications and the appointment following an executive session called under Arizona law. Board President Lydia Hernandez moved both measures; Board Member Rosa Cantu seconded each motion. The motions passed by recorded roll call votes and the board announced the motions carried.

The adopted minimum qualifications were presented as drawn from existing district policy CBA and cited Arizona Revised Statutes provisions the board identified as governing executive‑session discussions of personnel and legal advice. Hernandez reviewed duties and qualifications taken from the district’s CBA policy, including that the superintendent is the district chief executive officer, must supervise personnel and programs, ensure district compliance with state law and Arizona State Board of Education rules, submit required reports, and make recommendations to the board. Hernandez also read a list of candidate qualifications as drawn from a resume, including experience supervising large teams, grant experience, work with public‑private partnerships, public messaging experience, professional development work, fluency in Spanish and prior classroom experience.

During the public roll calls on the motions, Board Member Jennifer Romero repeatedly objected to the process and voted against adoption of the qualifications. Romero said, “we are making a decision without the input from the community. I think that as a board, we lack transparency, and we shouldn't even be allowed to vote as we are violating state statues ARS 15, dash 4 21. And with that, I vote nay.” Board Member Denise Garcia likewise recorded a nay vote and raised continued concerns about statutory compliance and transparency. Board Members Rosa Cantu, Cassandra Hernandez and President Lydia Hernandez voted in favor of the motions; the board announced the motions carried.

The appointment motion named Steve Watson as acting superintendent and approved an at‑will temporary contract to serve while the interim superintendent is on paid administrative leave. No contract amount or term length was stated on the public record during the meeting; those details were not specified in the public motion as recorded.

The board recessed into executive session under Arizona Revised Statutes cited during the meeting for discussion of personnel matters and to consult with district counsel; the public meeting resumed later the same evening and the two formal votes were taken in open session as reflected above. The board adjourned at 6:43 p.m.; the next regular governing board meeting was announced for Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at 5 p.m. in the Cartwright School District Governing Boardroom.

Votes at a glance: - Adoption of minimum qualifications for acting superintendent — Approved (motion carried). Recorded votes: Lydia Hernandez — aye; Cassandra Hernandez — aye; Rosa Cantu — aye; Jennifer Romero — nay; Denise Garcia — nay. (Board announced: motion carries.) - Appointment of Steve Watson as acting superintendent and approval of an at‑will temporary contract — Approved (motion carried). Recorded votes as announced: Lydia Hernandez — aye; Cassandra Hernandez — aye; Rosa Cantu — aye; Denise Garcia — nay; Jennifer Romero — nay. (Board announced: motion carries.)

The board’s minutes and any subsequently posted contract or personnel documents were not part of the transcript and were not provided during the meeting. The meeting record includes multiple statements from board members questioning whether the board’s process complied with Arizona statutes and district policies; those objections and votes against the measures were entered on the record as shown above.