The Cartwright School District has severed financial ties with the Cartwright Education Association (CEA), the union representing many of its teachers, amidst an investigation into alleged financial misappropriation. According to ABC15, Phoenix police are probing claims of mismanaged funds within the CEA, with a particular focus on a former board member responsible for the union's books.
As part of the fallout, the district announced it will stop to collect and distribute union dues collected from its roughly 450 employees. The withholding affects dues meant for the Cartwright Education Association, Arizona Education Association (AEA), and the National Education Association. Based on information provided by 12News, the Cartwright School District has historically collected hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in membership dues tied to employee pay grades.
This decision was made after a district governing board meeting where legal options regarding the union's financial issues were discussed in an executive session. Melanie Cobos, president of the CEA, has been scrambling to address the concerns raised by members in a Wednesday evening Zoom meeting. Cobos defended her and the board's positions, claiming it was her leadership that brought the missing funds to light, despite admitting she did not review the union's finances when she assumed presidency in June 2022. Cobos has stated she would step down if that's the majority's wish, saying, "I don’t think that stepping down will be a good idea for anyone right now. It will hurt the process to bring people together right now," as she told 12News.
The exact amount of the mishandled money remains undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation, but Cobos acknowledged it was "substantial." The CEA asserts that the person at the center of the investigation has "admitted" to their actions and an audit conducted in early December exposed the financial discrepancies. Both the AEA and the National Education Association have been urged by 12News for comments regarding the financial protocols and the CEA's finances, but so far, responses are pending. While members worry about the security of their dues, Cobos has tried to assure them by saying, "The money is fully bonded. The issue has never been if we’re going to get our money back," as per her statement during the Zoom meeting.
