$37K annual savings found for Apache Junction school district phone, internet costs

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A company that conducted an audit on Apache Junction Unified School District’s phone and internet invoices to ensure it was being billed correctly found an annual savings of more than $37,000.

The AJUSD governing board voted 4-0 Dec. 9 to approve a SpyGlass Co. audit and giving the amount saved — $37,538.40 — to the company. Board member Judy Williamson was absent.

The district engaged SpyGlass Co. to conduct the audit of phone and internet services, Board President Dena Kimble said prior to the vote.

“The audit identified cost-savings opportunities and service efficiencies. So basically we are saving this amount — $37,538.40 — a year due to their findings,” she said.

“(W)hat happens in the first year, this is the amount we pay and every subsequent year you will receive these savings or whatever the rate increase is.” said Robert Pappalardo, AJUSD superintendent. “This year we’re paying that amount of money to SpyGlass for finding the savings.”

The audit revealed charges for lines that are no longer in use, advertising in phone books and unused cellular devices, according to the written minutes of the board’s Dec. 2 work session.

Also, the district previously purchased 100 hotspots and the audit found the district was still being billed for all 100 even though only seven are currently in use. The district decided to retain approximately 20 hotspots and deactivated the rest, it states.

AJUSD has three elementary schools; a K-5 school designed to provide students with a traditional, liberal arts education; a junior high school; and a high school. The district boundaries run from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.