Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

With memories fresh from pandemic-era school closures and curriculum battles — particularly over how matters of gender and race are taught — legions of parents are trekking to the marble floors of their state Capitols to fight to create education savings accounts, also known as ESAs. Such accounts exist in Arizona and West Virginia, though Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs argues the dollars would be better spent bolstering chronically underfunded public schools.

Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs proposed the end of results-based funding in her budget, effectively untying additional per-pupil funding from achievement determined by the school letter grade system.  

A brigade of strollers and children toting magic marker-adorned posters descended upon the Capitol to protest Gov. Katie Hobbs’ proposed repeal of the universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Hobbs announced her proposed budget with public education funding hinging on savings from repealing universal ESAs.  

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit unanimously ruled school districts reserve the right to discipline and expel students for content posted on social media, so long as the post creates a substantial disruption in schooling and collides with the rights of other students.  

Helios Education Foundation, in partnership with WestEd, headed research on chronic absences rates and found in 2021, one in five K-8 students in Arizona schools was chronically absent. The learning loss from absences, compounded with learning loss from the pandemic, continues to threaten student mobility and drop-out rates.  

Foes of universal school vouchers turned in 141,714 signatures Friday to give voters the last word.

Democrats and public school officials are again asking Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special legislative session to avoid over $1 billion in K-12 funding cuts this school year, months after Republicans used the promise of a special session as a carrot to bring Democrats on board with this year’s historic bipartisan budget. 

Spanning four decades, Valorie McKenzie has led Horizon in Scottsdale to four state championship wins, won multiple Coach of the Year awards and earned 1,000 wins amid a drastically changing high school sports landscape.  

Community colleges in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties are set to get more money for programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and workforce training thanks to a provision in this year’s state budget. 

A Republican lawmaker may introduce legislation again next year to do away with mandatory English immersion for students who are non-native speakers.