APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — The Apache Junction School Board voted 3-2 Monday afternoon to approve the early exit of its superintendent.
The district did not produce details about how much the severance package will cost, and questions remain about why board members forced Heather Wallace from her position.
Two board members privy to behind-closed-door meetings about the agreement said Wallace was given only one option: sign a severance package.
“Heather was pushed and bullied and gaslit until she couldn’t take it anymore. They’re going to say this was a mutual decision. It was not,” said board member Bobby Bauders.
Wallace was unavailable for comment Monday and was not in attendance during the public portion of the board meeting.
It is unknown what motivated the three other board members to approve the severance package. Gil Cancio, Dena Kimble, and Gail Ross did not comment during their votes.
Wallace had more than a year left on her contract. She spent two decades working in the district before she was named superintendent in 2021.
Several parents and community leaders praised Wallace for her leadership on Monday. Dozens of students chanted “We want Heather” outside the district office, prompting police and administrators to shepherd them back to campus next door.
Former board member Mike Weaver told 12News he believes “partisan politics” prompted the effort.
“Our kids are too important; our community is too important to let partisan politics get in the way,” Weaver said.
Brenda Gifford, a Republican precinct captain, attended Monday’s meeting and told 12News she campaigned for the three board members who voted to remove Wallace. Gifford said she trusts Cancio, Kimble and Ross for their decision.
Asked why she supports Wallace’s removal, Gifford alleged Wallace did not try to create consensus as a leader and did not properly notify the board of contract changes.
“Contracts are complicated. And if I’m gonna read a contract and you just tell me you reformatted it and I trust you, that’s ok. But if you reformatted it and you slipped some stuff in there, that’s not ok. That’s probably the most egregious stuff I’ve observed,” Gifford said.
School board member Cami Garcia said Wallace’s departure was not justified.
“Although we all make mistakes, this wasn’t grounds for termination or severance. This isn’t what Heather wanted. She loved our community,” Garcia said.
Leading the district is not easy. The district has lacked public support in recent years, failing to pass its last six bond and override elections.
Critics of the decision say Wallace’s detractors don’t have children in the schools and don’t know the inner workings of the district.
“The employees loved her. The students loved her,” said Chelsea Connolly, a former board member and parent of a student. “She has a lot of relationships with a lot of people in this community.”
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.