The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has appointed Judge Lori Burkhardt as the new Justice of the Peace for the Ironwood Justice Precinct. This precinct covers a significant area in southwest Maricopa County, mainly within Supervisorial District 5, including Gila Bend.
Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who represents District 5, expressed his support for the appointment. “I could not have asked for a more qualified candidate than Judge Burkhardt,” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, District 5. “She has served the Ironwood Justice Precinct for 31 years, knows that court like the back of her hand, and is a third-generation resident of Gila Bend with a deep investment in the community’s well-being. I wish Judge Burkhardt the best of luck as she takes on this responsibility, and also want to give a shout out to Judge Joe Getzwiller for his 24 years of service to the court.”
Judge Burkhardt’s experience includes ten years as Court Clerk and twenty-one years as Court Manager at Ironwood Justice Precinct. She has also worked as Court Administrator for Gila Bend Municipal Court. Her background provides her with extensive knowledge in court operations and judicial administration.
Justices of the Peace are elected officials who oversee cases such as traffic violations, small claims, evictions, and civil matters up to $10,000 within their precincts.
State law required that Burkhardt be a Republican like her predecessor Judge Joe Getzwiller, reside within the Ironwood Justice Precinct, and be registered to vote in Arizona. She will serve until December 31, 2026.
In other developments related to Maricopa County education outcomes: In recent school years, students have faced challenges in core subjects. For example, during the 2022-23 academic year, about 62.9% of students in grades three through eight did not pass the mathematics section of AASA exams (https://www.azed.gov/), while roughly 65% of high schoolers failed mathematics on the ACT (https://www.azed.gov/). Similarly high rates were seen in English assessments; approximately 57.2% of students from grades three through eight did not pass English on AASA (https://www.azed.gov/), and about 57% of high schoolers failed English on ACT tests (https://www.azed.gov/). However, there were some improvements: In the most recent reporting period for 2023-24, about one-third (33.9%) of high schoolers passed mathematics on ACT (https://www.azed.gov/) and around 36% of third through eighth graders passed mathematics on AASA (https://www.azed.gov/).
