TOPOCK, Ariz. – It was another stormy, rainy night in Golden Shores as candidates and residents alike gathered at the Community Center for a meet and greet. One candidate arrived late; another walked out early. Candidates fielded questions, both from the audience and the moderators.
Audience members were instructed to write their questions for the candidates on a piece of paper. They were then collected in a basket and given to the moderators to ask the candidates.
Opening remarks began with Chuck De Shazer, the only male running for the board.
“I’ve lived here 36 years, in the U.S. Navy six years as a reactor operator. I got to looking into the tax increase and it doubled. I’m paying more for that district than anything on my tax bill. I want it to be fixed.”
Betty Boyles said, “I’ve lived in Golden Shores since 1975. I volunteered for the fire department for about 25 years as an EMT. I decided to run for the school board because I saw there was a need. I’m a grandmother raising a grandchild who is in (Topock) school.”
Dianna Francis said in her opening remarks, “I’ve lived in Golden Shores for 46 years. Topock has a very bad history of embezzlement and fraud. Where are the missing financial computers and financial books? John Warren told me he left them there. I’m not giving up whether on the school board or not.
Jean Kuhn said, “I very much care for that school. I want to be a bridge between the school and our community. I’m a taxpayer and I care about how our money is spent at that school. Be it that there are 60 students isn’t feasible to keep raising our taxes and $300,000 carried over from last year. I want to listen to our community and our school.”
One question asked was, “Topock has been out of compliance with uniform systems of financial records of Arizona School District, now in compliance with 15 outstanding deficiencies that still need corrected. What financial skills sets do you have to bring to the school board if elected this November?
De Shazer answered first. “I have run a business for 20 years and I know you have to make a profit. We need to get our finances in order to make this school work.”
Boyles answered, “I’ll find out what our deficiencies are. I’ll work with the school board and the staff to find out how to correct them. I want transparency, to be open, ask questions and be more transparent than they have been lately.”
Francis said, “I want to know where the financial records, the financial computers are. They can’t be missing. They have to be recovered. They belong to that school. How can you have a clean audit if you don’t know where this started? We have to get to the bottom of this.”
Kuhn stated, “I would look at old school records and see what needs to be checked into, ask many, many questions, and help get them up to the standards they have to be.”
Another question to the candidates was based on the Arizona Revised Code 15-241 setting an annual achievement for students based on proficiency, growth, and reading. The school received the Grade of A for the 2024-25 year. “Do you think this school is deserving of this grade? Why or why not?”
De Shazer answered, “John Warren told me this school would never be above a B without losing a certain group of people. I don’t see how they could have gone from a D to an A in one year.”
Boyles said, “I do think they deserve it. Since the new administration took over, they give all to the children all day long. Kids are doing fantastic. I can’t say enough about how they’re treating them. They’re involved with them in school and after school.”
Francis said, “I don’t honestly know. The school is not transparent. Any questions I ask are not answered.”
Kuhn said, “No. I don’t think they should jump from a D to an A in one year.”
Cormier arrived very late. Questions she did not understand, she asked that they be explained before giving her answer.
On a question about the VFW teaching things to kids they could not learn anywhere else, she said, “It’s amazing what VFW does. It takes a village to raise a child.” Cormier has two step-children in Topock Elementary and said they’re doing very well.
Not long after her arrival on stage, Kuhn walked off, left the building with no explanation and did not return.
