SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A clash on cable news this week that caused outrage has a connection to local school board races in the Valley. Conservative pundit and founder of the 1776 Project Ryan James Girdusky made national headlines this week after taking a jab at a fellow commentator in a CNN roundtable, referencing a recent pager bombing.
Girdusky’s work with the 1776 Project is under closer scrutiny as the political action committee has contributed to school board races around the country and here in Arizona.
The 1776 Project spent $58,000 in independent expenditures supporting candidates in the Scottsdale Unified School board election: Gretchen Jacobs, Jeanne Beasley and Drew Hassler.
The three are running together as a slate of candidates using the title Just Be Honest.
Jacobs, Beasley and Hassler did not agree to an interview for this story, but did provide 12News a statement:
"The ‘Just Be Honest’ team has been working hard these past several months meeting with thousands of voters about the issues that matter most to Scottsdale families. We are proud of the campaign we have run and grateful for the support we have received from voters so far.Together, we can give our students here in SUSD a better future. We look forward to representing the district and parents of the Scottsdale Unified School District. Our top priorities for Scottsdale schools have always been academic achievement, transparency with taxpayers and parents, funding for teachers and classrooms, and school safety. We are encouraging any voters that have not yet voted to make sure to get to the polls and cast their vote for ‘The Just Be Honest” team - Gretchen Jacobs, Jeanne Beasley and Drew Hassler.
Gretchen Jacobs is also a registered lobbyist at the state capitol. According to Secretary of State records, one of her clients is the American Federation for Children, a leading promoter of universal school vouchers in Arizona.
In an emailed statement, Jacobs addressed her work:
“I am proud to fight for the good people of Arizona on a daily basis. Whether through my work at the State Capitol or as a Scottsdale Unified School board member Work in both capacities will be handled ethically and will follow all legal professional rules as proscribed by the State Bar of Arizona.”
Jacobs, Beasley and Hassler face opposition from Michael Sharkey, Donna Lewis and Matt Pittinsky, under the banner Protect SUSD.
Pittinsky agreed to an interview on behalf of his slate of candidates, acknowledging the money in the school board campaign.
“The total amount of money being spent by candidates and then by these outside organizations is just remarkable and concerning for something as important and local as a non-partisan school board,” Pittinsky said.
The Jacobs, Beasley and Hassler team reported a combined total of more than $101,000 in candidate contributions.
Sharkey, Lewis and Pittinsky reported more than $150,000 as of the latest campaign finance disclosures.
Both trios have also benefited from spending by independent groups. For Sharkey, Lewis and Pittinsky, the Stand for Children Arizona organization reported contributions of over $150,000.
Including the spending by outside groups, the Scottsdale School Board race has cost well over $400,000, making it the costliest race in Maricopa County.
The 1776 Project PAC did not respond to multiple requests for comment via phone calls and emails to discuss the expenditures.
Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau said one reason their group is spending more on school board races this election is because the costs are higher for advertising and marketing during the presidential election cycle.
Still, she added her concern that schools have become a political target.
“In the last couple years, we've seen an alarming shift, and that's why we got more involved this year on a much more robust level across four school districts,” Gau said. “You see a lot of political theater playing out at local school board meetings, which is becoming very disruptive for the actual business of educating kids.”
Pittinsky echoed that sentiment.
“I'd like to make our school boards boring again,” Pittinsky joked. “I don't think that's the best slogan you can bring, but… we'd like to move away from what I think oftentimes are distractions, to how do we improve learning and create opportunities for those real, more important topics.”
