Maricopa County School Superintendent Shelli Boggs has bypassed the three Queen Creek Unified School District governing board candidates recommended by the district to appoint Kelli Anderson, who homeschools her children, to the vacancy created when James Knox resigned.
Anderson did not go through the interview process the district implemented to choose its recommendations to Boggs. Instead, Anderson applied directly to the Maricopa County School Superintendent’s Office.
Under state statute, filling the board vacancy is the responsibility of the Maricopa County school superintendent. Despite the district’s recommendations, the “county school superintendent is not required to appoint a governing board member from the list of names submitted by the governing board,” according to the statute.
While the QCUSD board put out a call for applicants, those interested in the position could apply directly to the county school superintendent’s office.
“I look forward to meeting Kelli Anderson and plan to continue prioritizing student success, safety,and fostering a strong effective educational environment,” stated Samantha Davis, QCUSD board president, in an email.
In a Jan. 1 Facebook post just before she took office, Boggs chastised her predecessor, Steve Watson, for appointing Jared Hancock to the District 4 seat for the East Valley Institute of Technology board without input from the board or the superintendent.
In a screenshot of the post from Jan.1, Boggs wrote that Hancock had stepped down and he “apologized to EVIT’S Superintendent. He said he had no idea about the process (Watsons fault)... The person is going to apply and go through the process properly.”
That was an update to a previous post that read:
“Watson ignored this and did what he wanted. Not sure what he cares about besides himself, but its NOT what’s best for schools. He made the appointment DECEMBER 31ST. No letter of interest was given to EVIT SUPERINTENDENT Dr. (Chad) Wilson or the EVIT Governing board.
“Just Watson and staff made the decision.”
The post appears to only be visible to Boggs’ Facebook friends. The screenshot was posted on teacher Irene Rowland’s Facebook page on Thursday.
In an email to the Queen Creek Independent, Rowland stated, “Shelli Boggs just did exactly what she accused Steve Watson of doing. She totally disregarded the 3 qualified and vetted finalists for QC school board to appoint her candidate who was able to skirt the entire process.”
Rowland added she had emailed Boggs endorsing two of the recommended candidates, Sarah Purcell and Chrissy Gust.
“I also specifically told her that what QCUSD did not need was another homeschool parent. We had one of those and we know how that turned out,” Rowland stated in her email. “I believe the call for public input was just for show — seems like her choice was pre-determined and the finalist process was disregarded. Yes, that is her right it’s just the ‘pot calling the kettle black antics’ that is bothersome.”
One of the recommended candidates, Gust, posted what amounted to a spoof of Boggs’ post about Watson.
But Dajana Zlatičanin, chief deputy school superintendent for the county, said the situation between Hancock and Anderson is not the same.
Watson appointed Hancock before EVIT’s Jan. 7 deadline for applications had passed, while Boggs’ appointment was made after QCUSD finished its application, interview and recommendation process, Zlatičanin said.
“We didn’t have a problem with the individual that was appointed. We had a problem with the way that it was done because it was unfair, secretive and just not good overall. It was not according to the rules and (Watson) completely disrespected EVIT’s rules,” she said. “We did not really have a good clarification of why it was done that way and why it was done in such a rushed and secretive way.”
After taking office in January, Zlatičanin said Boggs interviewed all interested EVIT candidates before appointing Hancock.
“Superintendent Boggs has campaigned on this, and she stood very strongly on this that whoever has an interest, whether they go straight through the district or straight to us, they will have a chance to be heard, and we will interview everybody,” she said. “We interviewed every single person whether they went through (QCUSD) or they applied straight to our office.
“In the end, Kelli Anderson is somebody who was an ideal candidate and that’s why she was appointed.”
In a press release issued Thursday, Boggs lauded Anderson.
“Kelli Anderson is not only an Army veteran but also a dedicated mother of three who has made education a priority in her own family. She understands that education is the foundation of our future and is committed to ensuring every child has access to high-quality learning opportunities,” the release stated.
Boggs’ office had not sent specifics of Anderson’s background and experience at press time.
Anderson’s Facebook page displayed her affinity for the MAGA movement, but certain posts have since been taken down. The Queen Creek Independent grabbed some screenshoots before they were taken down.
In a Feb. 14 Facebook post, Knox endorsed Anderson to take over his seat.
“Previously I had ask those who supported me to support community candidates to fill the seat I vacated. Kelli Anderson is a local community member active in her children’s education and has served the community as a member of LD15 and many other roles. Please email Supervisor Shelli Boggs and let her know your support for her.”
Knox resigned from the QCUSD board on Jan. 7 after a tumultuous two years in which he was repeatedly at loggerheads with fellow members Jennifer Revolt, Patty Campbell, Matt Riffey and Davis. He was also an outspoken critic of QCUSD Superintendent Perry Berry.
During the 2024 election cycle, Knox recruited and supported candidates Heidi Lee and David Dehority, who challenged Campbell, Riffey and Revolt. Both Lee and Dehority lost on Nov. 5.
Like Anderson, Knox homeschools his children. Anderson will finish out Knox’s term, which expires in December 2026.
Please send your comments about this article to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines. Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org.
Janet Perez News Editor | Queen Creek &
San Tan Valley
Meet Janet Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.
Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.
Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science.
Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.
Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.
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