Voters in the Apache Elementary School District rejected the failing status quo in the 2016 General Election when they elected William “Billy” Grossman to the governing board. The district, one of the oldest in the state, has been in turmoil in recent years.
Governing board member Frank Krentz, who represented the old guard, was defeated by Mr. Grossman due in part for his failure to hear the voices of area residents.
The well-respected Krentz family has been an integral part of keeping the one classroom school district going for years. However, under the leadership of teacher/principal/superintendent Ms. Palma Hudson, the once thriving school now has only two students and three employees.
The alleged mistreatment of students, parents, and taxpayers by Hudson, with the tacit approval of Krentz and his uncle, governing board President Bill Kimble, has forced families to take their children elsewhere.
Mr. Grossman, who has lived in the area mere two decades, is widely seen as a representative of change and accountability.
Community leader and area rancher Ed Ashurst said of the change on the board, “This is a classic example of the voters being tired of dysfunctional government.”
Krentz, whose own family has been devastated by flawed government policies, has relied on guidance from the quasi-government Arizona School Board Association. The Association trains school board members to serve the needs of administrators rather than the needs and demands of constituents. As a result, when asked to intervene on behalf of community members, Krentz wrongly claimed that the board did not have the authority to have flexibility in administering policy. As the ADI reported early this year, Krentz’s lack of compassion for the residents stunned even his most ardent supporters.
