Paradise Valley Unified superintendent Todd Cummings leaves post after board vote and termination appeal process

Superintendent’s exit follows months-long dispute and formal termination steps

The leader of the Paradise Valley Unified School District in north Phoenix is leaving the superintendent role after a governing board process that included a public vote to terminate his employment, a subsequent appeal, and a final vote reaffirming the dismissal.

The governing board initially voted on Dec. 2, 2025, to terminate Superintendent Dr. Todd Cummings based on a formal “statement of charges” that laid out multiple allegations. The board’s action set in motion contractual and legal steps that allow an employee to challenge the decision through an appeal and hearing process. Cummings later pursued that appeal, prompting a closed, two-day hearing held Jan. 22–23, 2026.

What the board alleged in its statement of charges

The Dec. 2 action was tied to a written list of allegations that included claims of policy and contractual violations and assertions that Cummings’ conduct contributed to a counterproductive workplace environment. The board’s vote at that stage functioned as a decision that the allegations—if proven—would justify termination, rather than a public adjudication of the underlying facts.

Among the central issues raised were questions about information provided during the hiring process and later interactions with investigators reviewing complaints about conduct in the district.

• Misrepresentation concerns tied to past employment and separation terms.

• Allegations of unprofessional conduct and management practices affecting staff collaboration and workplace culture.

• Claims involving compliance with board policies and contractual expectations.

Appeal hearing and the board’s final vote

After the January 2026 hearing, the governing board held a special meeting and voted unanimously, 5–0, on Feb. 11, 2026, to again terminate Cummings, effectively reaffirming the Dec. 2 decision after receiving a summary of the hearing outcome from district legal counsel.

The board’s Feb. 11 vote followed a closed hearing process convened after Cummings appealed the initial termination decision.

Context: rapid tenure and administrative leave

Cummings’ tenure in Paradise Valley was brief. He was placed on paid administrative leave in late September 2025 as the district moved forward with an external investigation into a complaint. In public statements issued during the process, district leaders emphasized that the board was proceeding under confidentiality rules that govern executive sessions while maintaining that day-to-day operations continued under other district administrators.

The superintendent’s departure adds to leadership turnover in large districts across Arizona, where governing boards have increasingly relied on formal investigations, written charges, and closed-session deliberations to manage high-stakes employment disputes involving top administrators.