Hundreds of charter schools and traditional school districts in Arizona have been receiving more federal funding for low-income students than they were entitled to while others were left with far less for at least the past four fiscal years.

The state’s largest school district has been preparing to teach the Common Core standards in much the same way that smaller districts have – with several consecutive years of teacher training, millions of dollars in technology upgrades and parent education. However, despite a successful 2012 bond election, money is still tight.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has named Arizona Sen. Rich Crandall the new head of the state’s Department of Education, the governor announced Wednesday afternoon.

The Goldwater Institute is proposing a policy that would require school districts to sell their vacant buildings within 18 months and close down and sell failing schools with low enrollments.