The Liberty Elementary School District governing board has terminated the contract of Interim Superintendent Trevor McDonald, just months after hiring him to lead the district.
The board voted 4-1 during a special meeting Sept. 24 to terminate McDonald’s contract, waiving the required 30-day written notice. McDonald had been placed on leave earlier this month.
During the same meeting, the board also voted unanimously to self-report possible violations of the state’s procurement code and open meeting law to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the state auditor.
Board leadership said both matters were tied to McDonald’s initial leave of absence.
“I do not believe he acted with any malintention for the district. I think he makes student-center decisions,” said Board Member Kelly Zimmerman, who voted against McDonald’s removal. “I think he empowered staff to do what’s best for students and I think he clearly understood the role of the board and clearly the role of superintendent and worked to make the district run smoothly.”
McDonald, who was appointed in July, is the third person to hold the superintendent position in three years. His hiring followed the board’s decision in April to place then-Superintendent Cort Monroe on permanent leave, citing community complaints over legal, financial and accountability issues.
In a statement released in early September, McDonald said he was committed to providing consistent leadership and across the district in support of prioritizing students.
“As your superintendent, I remain deeply committed to providing that same consistency at the district level,” McDonald stated. “That means making thoughtful decisions, building strong systems and ensuring that every part of our district is aligned in support of one common goal.”
Before joining Liberty, McDonald was chief business officer for Vista del Mar School District in Gaviota, California. He previously served as superintendent of Lompoc Unified School District from 2013 to 2022 and was named Superintendent of the Year by the California Continuation Education Association in 2020.
The governing board is now considering a formal superintendent search. During a recent meeting, representatives from the Arizona School Administrators Association outlined their process, including potential timelines and costs.
“It’s not our search, it’s your search,” said Dr. Paul Tighe, ASA’s executive director. “We’re just here to help you find a superintendent if you so choose.”
Tighe said stakeholder engagement is a key part of the process.
“It’s important to have a clean and transparent process that involves and engages stakeholders,” he said. “How that is done is very customizable, but these are the kinds of goals we recommend with anyone we engage with.”
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