Community members, parents, staff and students of Apache Junction Unified School District officially formed a recall committee for school board members and have until August to collect a minimum of 4,062 signatures.

The group, known as For Our AJUSD Kids, filed paperwork with the Pinal County School Superintendent’s Office and was granted permission to begin gathering the required signatures, according to a release posted on Facebook @ForAJUSDKids.

The group seeks to recall AJUSD Governing Board President Dena Kimble and Board Vice President Gilbert “Gil” Cancio, with a possible third recall of board member Gail Ross to occur upon her completing six months in office in accordance with state law, the release states.

The three on April 10 voted in favor of a severance agreement for AJUSD Superintendent Heather Wallace at a meeting that did not include public comment, discussion or debate.

“We humbly ask that anyone interested in seeing a true positive change for AJUSD sign the recall petition and join us in this effort to ensure our board members are working for the people who elected them," the release states.

The recall is being sought of Kimble in part for inserting partisan politics into her re-election campaign by receiving endorsements and accepting campaign donations from two partisan committees — Pinal County Republican Committee and the Superstition Mountain Republican Club — of at least $800, according to the release.

“Kimble’s comments from the dais, agreeing with politically charged public comments, also demonstrate support for partisan politics in a nonpartisan elected position. Furthermore, Kimble, as a steward of the taxpayers’ funds, has irresponsibly executed her duties as evidenced by negotiating separation and severance for three superintendents, totaling approximately $300,000 in six years for nothing more than a ‘new direction.’ These actions have caused instability, distrust and a lack of confidence in her ability to make fiscal and educational decisions that are best for our students and community,” the release states.

The recall is being sought of Cancio in part for inserting partisan politics into his nonpartisan elected position by eliciting partisan presence at the AJUSD board meeting on April 11, it states.

“Furthermore, Cancio is frequently unprepared for meetings and exhibits difficulty in understanding the complexities of school governance as evidenced by incessant requests for repetition and clarification when presented with supporting documents. These deficits render him unable to make responsible decisions affecting students, parents, staff and taxpayers. As a steward of public funds, he irresponsibly executed his duties as evidenced by negotiating separation and severance for two superintendents in two years, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. He consistently used public funds to sever ties for nothing more than a ‘new direction,’” according to the release.