Maricopa Unified School District received an “A” grade for transparency from the Goldwater Institute in a sweeping report released Tuesday examining how Arizona school districts disclose superintendent contracts.
The report, The Hidden Ways Arizona School Superintendents Are Paid, reviewed 41 of the state’s largest districts. Researchers found many districts slow-walked requests, demanded excessive fees or otherwise resisted releasing basic contract information. Only one district — Flagstaff Unified — received the top “A+” rating, earned by proactively posting its superintendent’s contract online.
MUSD was among the top performers, earning an “A” for promptly providing Superintendent Dr. Tracey Lopeman’s contract quickly and without resistance. Lopeman, who has led MUSD since 2018, currently receives a base salary of $184,875. With performance pay, retirement contributions, stipends and leave-day cash-out provisions, her total annual compensation reaches $249,217.
“We’ve seen the report and we appreciate the recognition of our commitment to transparency,” said MUSD Director of Communications Mishell Terry when asked about the district’s grade.
Asked if MUSD plans to follow the Goldwater Institute’s recommendation to post Lopeman’s contract online — the one step that would elevate the district to an “A+” alongside Flagstaff — Terry did not commit, stating: “We’ll make sure our practices align with legal requirements.”
The Goldwater Institute’s report highlights why such disclosures matter. While base salaries average about $215,000 statewide, total superintendent compensation can climb to nearly $500,000 after factoring in stipends, retirement perks and leave cash-outs. In some cases, the report found, school boards themselves were not given full access to their superintendent’s contract details.
For MUSD, the “A” grade signals strong compliance with public-records law but also leaves an open question of whether the district will voluntarily raise the bar for transparency by making superintendent contracts available at the click of a mouse. It could become just the second district in the state to do so.
