FOIAzona

Families across Arizona were shocked in early 2025 when Gov. Katie Hobbs unexpectedly terminated Jenny Clark, a respected member of the State Board of Education, from her post. The decision to remove a nationally recognized advocate for school choice raised questions about whether the governor targeted her for political reasons.

Records obtained by FOIAzona suggest that the answer is yes.

Internal emails from SBE and the Governor’s Office reveal that Clark’s removal came after a lobbying push by Save Our Schools Arizona, a controversial group that opposes the ESA program and has longtime ties to the teachers union.

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On January 20, Beth Lewis, a lobbyist for SOS Arizona, sent an email to Hobbs’s chief of staff (Chad Campbell) and deputy chief of staff (Lourdes Peña) with an urgent demand.

Lewis complained former Gov. Doug Ducey’s appointments to SBE “have been profoundly anti-public school” and demanded that Hobbs “take action quickly in order to achieve a pro-public education majority on the SBE.” That majority, she argued, would be able to control “revisions to the ESA Parent Handbook” since “the state legislature is unwilling to put these reforms in statute.”

Further, Lewis “strongly urge[d] Gov. Hobbs to remove Jennifer Clark … from the Board immediately.”

Lewis followed up three days later emphasizing that “[t]he most pressing matter would be removing Jenny Clark … from the SBE asap.” She added that “this is truly urgent” and that “this will be an extremely helpful move as Love Your School”—Clark’s pro-ESA organization—“is instrumental in pushing the voucher lobbyists in Arizona and nationally.”

Peña (Hobbs’s deputy chief of staff) apologized for not responding sooner and assured Lewis that “we are actively looking into this and have a plan in place to replace the (sic) Clark.” She promised to “reach out next week to further discuss the intricacies of the membership.”

On February 19, according to Clark’s account of the events, the Governor’s Office called “asking me to submit a resignation from the Arizona State Board of Education.” She declined to do so since “several other board members are still serving in expired terms,” after which the Ninth Floor called her back and said that “a letter would arrive by Friday [February 21] confirming the conclusion of my term.”

The Governor’s Office immediately notified SBE that it “will have two new Board members in the very near future” to “fill Member Clark’s seat.”

However, on February 24, six days later, Clark published an early morning tweet revealing what had happened and noting that the letter from the Governor’s Office “still hasn’t arrived.” The Governor’s Office saw it. Hours later, Hobbs personally signed a short letter notifying Clark that “your term has expired.”

SBE’s executive director said internally that “the team was DEVASTATED when they heard the news” about Clark’s departure because her “incredible kindness to the staff has never gone unnoticed.” “[S]he will be truly missed,” he added.

Jacqui Clay, the superintendent of schools in Cochise County, told the board’s leadership that week: “I will really miss Jenny; she still assists me with ESA SPED students in Cochise County.”

On March 3, the Governor’s Office notified SBE that it was nominating Lupita Hightower, a superintendent from Tolleson and donor to progressive Democrats, to fill the vacancy.

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