In Rare Move Arizona Takes Control of a Local School District

When Robert Donofrio retired as the longtime superintendent of Murphy Elementary School District in 2004, the small district had a "well-regarded" reputation, he said. Murphy led its cohort of low-income, urban Phoenix schools in student achievement, and the district appeared to be a model of cohesiveness among parents, educators and community members. Fourteen years later as superintendents came and went, teachers cycled through in droves, and a large swath of parents became disillusioned with district leadership Murphy's fate now rests with the state. Monday, the Arizona State Board of Education unanimously voted to appoint a receiver to oversee the district's operation amid a $2.2 million spending deficit that publicly unraveled years of tension within the community and mismanagement in the district.