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Arizona Department of Education

Jul 2, 2024

ESA program gets a few tweaks, but no overhaul

Change to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program remained a game of inches this session. 

school ratings, grades, public schools
Nov 8, 2023

Number of failing schools fell; alternative schools headed the other way

The number of schools getting an F on the state’s annual report card has fallen sharply, going from 49 in 2019 to 24 this year, but the number of failing alternative schools rose over the same period.

compliance, public records, First Amendment, delays, attorneys
Oct 27, 2023

Agencies use delays to thwart public records requests 

Arizona’s public bodies often use delay tactics and loose interpretations of the state’s public records laws to avoid transparency, First Amendment lawyers say.  

school resource officers, SROs, school safety officers, Horne, campuses
Oct 18, 2023

New program will place armed, uniformed off-duty police officers on campuses with SROs 

The Arizona Department of Education announced a new program to place armed and uniformed off-duty police officers on school campuses lacking a school resource officer.  

ESAs, vouchers, public schools, Save Our Schools Arizona,
Oct 11, 2023

State spending more money for vouchers for students this budget year than was reserved through June

Less than four months into the budget year, Arizona already is spending more money for vouchers for students to attend private and parochial schools at state expense than was set aside through June.

Horne, Hobbs, Covid, overstepping, ESAs, English Language Learners, CRT
Sep 18, 2023

Concerned resident raises concerns about Horne’s actions as schools chief

A concerned Arizona resident shared a letter she sent to Tom Horne, who she claims has overstepped his power since assuming the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

ESA, Empowerment Scholarship Account, Arizona Department of Education, Save Our Schools Arizona, Horne, Beth Lewis
Sep 7, 2023

ESA program added almost 50,000 students in the past year, state reports

The state added nearly 12,000 students to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program in the last quarter, bringing total enrollment to 61,689 at the end of June and renewing debates about the costs and benefits of the program.

COVID, funds, schools, Horne, Coconino County, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Sep 1, 2023

Student and teacher mental health programming supported by Covid funds could be in limbo

Student and educator mental health programming supported by Covid grant relief funds may be in limbo after the Arizona Department of Education requested reports on the efficacy in remedying learning loss.  

ESAs, Arizona Department of Education, tuition, public schools, private schools, parents, Hobbs, Lewis, Ladner
Aug 25, 2023

Attempts to curtail universal ESA program fail

In the first legislative session following the universal expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, attempts to curtail or enact further oversight for the program fell flat.

ESA, Horne, vendor, ClassWallet, debit cards
Aug 25, 2023

ADE says work being done on ESA program as ClassWallet continues as vendor

With ClassWallet in the process of continuing its contract with the state as the Empowerment Scholarship Account financial vendor, the Arizona Department of Education confirmed work on long-term changes to the program, most notably the revival of debit cards using automation and artificial intelligence.  

caregivers, direct care workers
Aug 11, 2023

Arizona needs 190K direct care workers in next seven years

By 2030, Arizona will need more than 190,000 new direct care workers. Those results, from a 2021 survey from the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI), concluded that, without intervention, the caregiver crisis will worsen.

school resource officers, SROs, school safety officers, Horne, campuses
Aug 10, 2023

Funding available for SROs, but positions hard to fill

Funding exists for 301 school resource officers through the Arizona Department of Education’s School Safety Grant, but some schools have yet to find an officer to fill the position.  

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