State Sen. Steve Farley and state Reps. Sally Ann Gonzales and Victoria Steele attended the Tucson Unified School District board meeting this evening to give a legislative update on a bill that seeks to defund desegregation programs at several state school districts, including TUSD, which would take the “biggest hit” at $64 million cut from the annual budget.

While Farley, who is a TUSD parent, expressed his discontent at the fact that TUSD board member Michael Hicks sent a letter to legislators urging them to pass that bill, Hicks stood up and, pretty much, threw a handout on the podium and told Farley to read it, which the state senator did not. But it wasn’t until Farley suggested Hicks to resign his position that the board member lost it.

He slammed his chair and mumbled that he was leaving, but then less than 10 seconds later he changed his mind. “You know what, I’m not leaving,” Hicks said while some meeting attendees laughed at his shenanigans. 

On Feb. 11, SB 1371 passed a Senate Finance Committee hearing, which TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez attended to defend the hell of the desegregation programs’ funding. The committee’s chairwoman, state Sen. Debbie Lesko, who is also the sponsor of the bill, agreed to add an amendment accommodating to TUSD’s special needs, according to a phone interview I had with Sanchez while he drove back to Tucson from Phoenix that afternoon. The district still has to obey a federal court order and is under the Unitary Status Plan. Sanchez says without those funds, the programs they offer to reach unitary status wouldn’t survive.

Farley thanked Sanchez for attending the hearing. 


But, “Our purpose was undercut severely when I noticed that one of your board members, Mr. Hicks had signed in a testimony to the members of the committee asking for the bill to pass, asking us to cut $64 million from our own district,” Farley said. “Giving comfort to those who would shut down public education in Arizona, and, in my mind, compromised his oath of office to protect and defend the students, teachers and parents of (TUSD)…”

Right in the middle of that, Hicks stood up and grabbed that handout or sign I mentioned earlier.

“You do not believe that your oath of office for the TUSD board involves protecting and defending students and parents of the district? You have damaged those efforts, and frankly Mr. Hicks, your signs are cute, but if you are going to damage our children like this, you are not for kids and I believe you should resign your position,” Farley continued. The crowd started clapping.

Hicks said that was an attack not a legislative update like it was described on the meeting’s agenda. 

Before Farley arrived, Hicks had already gotten it during the call to the audience, including one of the attendees who said Hicks wants to screw children in low-income neighborhoods out of a good education. And someone else called Hicks a racist. 

When it was time for board members to respond to criticism, Hicks had an essay to read.

He thanked the speakers who shared their views.

“I do support the concept of schools receiving desegregation funding, what I don’t support is the mismanagement and the misappropriation of the desegregation funding that TUSD has been receiving for over 30 years…but I am more than willing to compromise on this issue,” Hicks said. But right in the middle of his remarks, the speakers in the room mysteriously let out a very loud noise that sounded like a phone off the hook or like when you call someone and the line is busy.

“Really?” Hicks said. He kept reading but that noise was quite loud until nearly the end of Hicks’ defense so I’m unclear of how that ended.

He tried to argue that while he is outside, in the real world, he had been told that he is not representing the board. However, the note he sent to legislators supporting the bill was signed, “TUSD Board Member Michael Hicks.”

“We always represent TUSD because that is the oath that we took,” TUSD Clerk Kristel Foster said. 

The bill isn’t due for a vote for now. Farley said the process on that has slowed down, but until the state Legislature officially kills the bill, it means that it could get picked up again any time.

“This is a bill being pushed by the Arizona Tax Research Association. ATRA is funded entirely by the big utilities…their entire purpose is to reduce property tax burden from their funders,” said Farley, a member of the Senate Finance Committee. (The TUSD desegregation money comes from a local property tax.) “You might want to have a word with (Tucson Electric Power) as to why they are supporting this effort to undercut school districts…they do this in a number of bills that come forward every year and they are not concerned with the effects of reducing this funding.”

(Added after publication) The Goldwater Institute is also behind the legislation, and at the meeting, Farley said the group wants to get rid of public schools and base education completely on private institutions.

Democratic state Reps. Stefanie Mach, Bruce Wheeler , Randy Friese and a few others called into the meeting to also weigh in on the issue.

From the $64 million TUSD gets for desegregation programs, about $11 million go to magnet schools’ programs, students outreach and recruiting services. Then there’s about $8 million for things like translation and interpretation (ESL, etc.); another close to $8 million go to drop-out prevention and programs that aim to close the academic achievement gap.

This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2015.

I was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala. I moved to Tucson about 10 years ago. Since I was old enough to enjoy reading, I developed an interest in writing, and telling stories through different...

22 replies on “At TUSD Board Meeting, State Sen. Steve Farley Tells Michael Hicks How It Is: You Should Resign”

  1. I’m sorry that the unidentified phone noises kept you from hearing what Michael Hicks said because what he called for was actually a good thing. He said “I will rescind my statement if a Board member is not allowed to sit on the TUSD audit committee and if we hire an internal independent auditor.” For those who have not followed the transparency issue at TUSD, this was a call for financial oversight, something that people from across the political and partisan spectrum support. Cheerleaders for the current superintendent usually do NOT support this, I guess because blind faith when you like the guy is sufficient and the past “rock star” financial manager and vice superintendent hired by the district who left and subsequently charged that we are 15 million in the hole is only to be ignored and belittled.

    I certainly get and share the audience’s outrage over Hicks’ widely distributed support for the devastating and vindictive (to say nothing of racist) bill, but surely SOME of that outrage can go towards the entire board that has allowed the funds to be misused (recently, on district legal costs, among other things, re: spurious lawsuits within the last two years) in the past. The best comment of all, though, was Syvia Campoy’s–she reminded us all that despite problems in the past, the use of the funds for desegregation purposes are being more scrutinized and tracked than ever before so now is CERTAINLY not the time to withdraw them. Despite my own feeling that this is in SPITE of many of the boards actions to date, NOT because of them, I agree that this is the case.

  2. Regardless of the hypocrisy and partisanship on display during this part of the meeting, however, it was an excellent update for the most part. I am rarely on record supporting Board member Foster’s political initiatives (although I thought at one point that I would be!) but if this was her idea, it was an excellent one. In my dreams we pull enough parents and community leaders together to run a string of yellow school buses up to Phoenix to protest, like the farmers descending on the Statehouse in Wisconsin in their tractors. This constant siphoning of public education funds to charter schools, private schools and religious schools has to stop.

  3. Oh thank you Betts and Maria! I watched the board meeting from my computer and I applaud Steve Farley and all who are fighting for TUSD. A couple of points I want to add: This bill is also backed by the Goldwater Institute which is funded by the Koch brothers. They want all public education to end and will do just about anything to accomplish that. THe other thing and this is a statement and question together. There was a brief accounting of the funds spent in deseg by Steve Farley. Hicks said he wants an independent auditor. My question is what has TUSD done to warrant this? My point is it seems like so much is spent on investigating and monitoring TUSD when money is so tight. I want TUSD to be transparent but I have seen no evidence that they are not able and willing to say how money is spent. At this point I do say by all means get an auditor. However when does the witch hunt(IMHO) end and the money spent to defend and clarify go to the children? I hope people understand that there is a lot of smoke here and the saying ‘where there is smoke there is fire’ is not always true. Sometimes organizations because of racism and other reasons create a lot of doubt when (at this point for sure) there doesn’t appear to be a reason for it. Again, I support getting an independent auditor for our children and public education in general. I just wish people were more aware of why we need to do this… not because there is evidence of wrongdoing. Thank you to all who are fighting for public education.

  5. Rat T … I looked at your link…. I could write a book on the half-truths, etc. However, I will say the mafioso is Goldwater Institute. They are backed by ALEC and if anyone at this point in time who doesn’t know ALEC, please research. One of their goals is to tear down public education. Not because of wrong-doing… but because they believe in capitalism to the point of everything must be privatized and for profit. Sorry… cannot support that… not on the backs of children.

  6. TUSD liberals have DESTROYED TUSD and they are the Laughing Stock of the COUNTRY !
    Rep. Steve Farley is a pathetic JOKE. Oh yeah he is a Tucson democrat.

  7. I have always thought hiring an independent auditor who reports to both the board AND the superintendent at a public meeting would be the best solution. That would truly be public transparency. It might be embarrassing upon occasion to the administration, but it would certainly be useful in keeping their feet to the fire on the issue of how funds are spent. Much clearer definitions of categories of spending are needed for true transparency. I am amazed at how this is manipulated by everyone. Juarez should not have reneged on his compromise worked out with Stegeman on the auditor question, and Hicks should not have signed his letter as TUSD Board Member when writing to the legislature without indicating his view was a minority view. If he had not identified himself as holding a non-paying public elected position, his letter would not have prominently displayed. Please note others were not. I commend Sanchez and whichever members of the board who put together last night’s legislative report and arranged for input from the entire legislative delegation.

  8. Not the first time a board member stabbed TUSD in the back. Remember when Hicks and Stegeman appeared as witnesses FOR Huppenthal AGAINST TUSD in the administrative hearing on MAS? And Stegeman testified he thought MAS was like a cult? That statement was not spontaneous, but came from his notes that he FED to Huppenthal through an intermediary. Kind of undercuts the “we had to testify because we were subpoenaed” argument, doesn’t it? Their betrayal of their office is nothing new.

  10. Wow. This problem certainly could be fixed. Teach our children the basics. History. Math. Science. English. I find that most people, with encouragement find their own talents. Some people have a gift for music. Some have a gift for craftsmanship. Why spend money attempting to force square pegs into round holes? Give each student an equal dose of the basics, then stand back and let them find their talent. All this adult fear and loathing is killing public education.

  11. Regarding the remark about another person weight:
    The best remark you can come up with is a remark about a board members weight and trash Tucson in the process. If you are so unhappy here there is a Koch owned city north on interstate 10 that would suit you well: profiling people for their ethnic origin and growing lawns in a decade long drought. Ignorant is the word that comes to mind. Hope someone can make someone happy. My children did not go to TUSD but disparaging someone for their weight is off color and off limits.

  12. Sorry Ma’am but public eductation has allowed itself to be torn down…and make no mistake about it. It is broken.

  13. Mariyah, guess what, that’s exactly where I’m heading after seeing this city destroyed by liberals. Less taxes for these scumbags to take. And guess what – there are jobs and they don’t allow occupiers to defecate on the streets of downtown.

    About Grijalva’s weight – she’s a horrible example. Why isn’t she on board with Michelle’s dietary plan – only good for the kids?

    How many more thousands will flee TUSD?

  14. Robyn this is right from their website:

    ALEC “works to advance the fundamental principles of free-market enterprise, limited government, and federalism at the state level through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America’s state legislators, members of the private sector and the general public”.

    Why would that bother somebody that believed in the Constitution?

    At least you didn’t blame the Koch Bros. They seem to bother you worse than radical muslims.

  15. You interviewed HT Sanchez on the drive back from Phoenix?

    Who paid for gas to carpool up there?

    Sounds a little too cozy for objective journalism.

  18. Rat T that organization(ALEC) abuses and distorts the constitution more than any other organization that I know of. It is funded by the Koch brothers. Read “Wrapped in the Flag” by Claire Conner.

  20. The discontent of trolls is distraction. Complaining without (ever) applying an ounce of thinking toward solutions is way too easy. There are some people here who have a stake in the quality of our community, including schools, kids and future job opportunities. RW talking points only go so far, Rat Troll, and lead to dismantling public infrastructures and privatizing all forms of taxpayers supports.

    In one form or another, TUSD will survive the likes of Huppenthals, Hornes, Hicks and knee-jerk little trolls, but it will require some serious, long-term thinking and planning – not stupid sound-bite comments or links to sites that hate government and pretty much all government employees, that want to fire teachers, defund pensions and, to the point of Sen. Farley, abandon kids and parents in public school wastelands.

  21. I have been hearing that since 1990 and yet it has only gotten worse. It’s just plain lazy to blame others for the problems that government schools have created.

    Maybe they should stick to telling people what to eat.

  22. I am a taxpayer so it’s beyond ignorant to say that there is anybody that doesn’t have a stake in this. We all benefit from jobs as long as the educated stay here to earn the money.

    A bigger problem may actually be the city and county voters that don’t hold elected officials to any performance standard to seek and retain employment opportunities for their citizenry.

    There are many viable reasons that citizens now detest their governments for what they DON’T accomplish. It’s much different than what they promise.

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