Hoffman Grateful For “American Rescue Plan’s” $2.6 Billion In Funding

March 14, 2021

By Lori Hunnicutt |

After having already received over $1 billion in CARES ACT ESSER and ESSER II funding for Arizona’s schools, Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman issued a publicly paid for press release to expressed her gratitude to Arizona’s democratic congressional delegation for the passage of the American Rescue Plan.

According to Hoffman, the Plan will provide nearly $2.6 billion dollars to Arizona for K-12 education, of which the Arizona Department of Education will allocate 90% of those funds directly to public schools.

“The latest round of federal relief and recovery dollars comes at a time of high need for Arizona’s schools and families as many prepare for a return to some degree of in-person learning. From teaching and learning to providing critical wrap around supports, over the past year, every Arizonan has seen just how essential our schools are to our communities,” said Hoffman in her press release. “I am grateful to the members of Arizona’s delegation who supported the American Rescue Plan, their advocacy and their votes are essential to our recovery as a state.”

As noted by Hoffman, schools are essential, and as a result, parents have gone in search of those essential service providers. Public school enrollment is down by approximately 38,000 students for the 2020-2021 school year compared to last year.

Despite the fact that the Arizona Department of Education released a report showing public school enrollment is declining dramatically, funding for schools is growing due to COVID by nearly the same dramatic rate.

ESSER allocations were only for Title I districts and were set by the federal government. Non title I districts did not receive a direct allocation from the federal government through the CARES act so the Department used its discretionary funds to ensure they had access to relief dollars, according to Richie Taylor with the Arizona Department of Education.

TOP 20 ESSR RECEIPIENTS TOP 20 ESSR II RECEIPIENTS
LEA NAME ESSER Fund Allocation ESSER II Allocation TOTAL
Tucson Unified District $18,558,099.29 $76,396,636.50 $94,954,735.79
Mesa Unified District $17,062,873.58 $70,241,361.27 $87,304,234.85
Phoenix Union High School District $11,993,688.79 $49,373,455.48 $61,367,144.27
Cartwright Elementary District $7,999,141.31 $32,929,422.74 $40,928,564.05
Washington Elementary School District $7,318,952.59 $30,129,344.49 $37,448,297.08
Alhambra Elementary District $6,507,560.37 $26,789,151.34 $33,296,711.71
Sunnyside Unified District $5,721,902.88 $23,554,897.94 $29,276,800.82
Glendale Elementary District $4,804,642.37 $19,778,885.64 $24,583,528.01
Roosevelt Elementary District $4,701,263.40 $19,329,140.54 $24,030,403.94
Paradise Valley Unified District $4,513,659.06 $18,581,882.84 $23,095,541.90
Phoenix Elementary District $4,420,353.51 $17,741,161.13 $22,161,514.64
Peoria Unified School District $4,230,397.55 $17,414,938.09 $21,645,335.64
Glendale Union High School District $4,163,991.22 $17,141,568.48 $21,305,559.70
Dysart Unified District $3,914,351.21 $16,114,569.28 $20,028,920.49
Isaac Elementary District $3,839,593.72 $15,565,659.76 $19,405,253.48
Deer Valley Unified District $3,656,154.10 $15,072,832.22 $18,728,986.32
Chandler Unified District #80 $3,276,351.66 $13,574,728.96 $16,851,080.62
Creighton Elementary District $3,317,717.18 $13,452,995.34 $16,770,712.52
Amphitheater Unified District $3,173,678.01 $13,002,600.04 $16,176,278.05

TOP 50 ESSR RECEIPIENTS TOP 50 ESSR II RECEIPIENTS
LEA NAME ESSER Fund Allocation LEA NAME ESSER II Allocation
Tucson Unified District $18,558,099.29 Tucson Unified District $76,396,636.50
Mesa Unified District $17,062,873.58 Mesa Unified District $70,241,361.27
Phoenix Union High School District $11,993,688.79 Phoenix Union High School District $49,373,455.48
Cartwright Elementary District $7,999,141.31 Cartwright Elementary District $32,929,422.74
Washington Elementary School District $7,318,952.59 Washington Elementary School District $30,129,344.49
Alhambra Elementary District $6,507,560.37 Alhambra Elementary District $26,789,151.34
Sunnyside Unified District $5,721,902.88 Sunnyside Unified District $23,554,897.94
Glendale Elementary District $4,804,642.37 Glendale Elementary District $19,778,885.64
Roosevelt Elementary District $4,701,263.40 Roosevelt Elementary District $19,329,140.54
Paradise Valley Unified District $4,513,659.06 Paradise Valley Unified District $18,581,882.84
Phoenix Elementary District $4,420,353.51 Phoenix Elementary District $17,741,161.13
Peoria Unified School District $4,230,397.55 Peoria Unified School District $17,414,938.09
Glendale Union High School District $4,163,991.22 Glendale Union High School District $17,141,568.48
Dysart Unified District $3,914,351.21 Dysart Unified District $16,114,569.28
Isaac Elementary District $3,839,593.72 Isaac Elementary District $15,565,659.76
Deer Valley Unified District $3,656,154.10 Deer Valley Unified District $15,072,832.22
Creighton Elementary District $3,317,717.18 Chandler Unified District #80 $13,574,728.96
Chandler Unified District #80 $3,276,351.66 Creighton Elementary District $13,452,995.34
Amphitheater Unified District $3,173,678.01 Amphitheater Unified District $13,002,600.04
Tempe School District $2,599,800.98 Yuma Union High School District $10,524,843.43
Yuma Union High School District $2,556,671.32 Chinle Unified District $10,485,054.40
Gilbert Unified District $2,361,129.01 Tempe School District $10,097,765.41
Chinle Unified District $2,311,140.03 Gilbert Unified District $9,719,870.46
Pendergast Elementary District $2,051,218.76 Academy of Mathematics and Science South, Inc. $8,669,827.51
Scottsdale Unified District $2,039,036.15 Pendergast Elementary District $8,495,439.77
Yuma Elementary District $1,987,817.13 Scottsdale Unified District $8,428,712.94
Academy of Mathematics and Science South, Inc. $1,936,851.39 Yuma Elementary District $8,183,087.04
Douglas Unified District $1,912,733.71 Douglas Unified District $7,873,997.23
Nogales Unified District $1,864,660.69 Nogales Unified District $7,676,098.84
Tolleson Union High School District $1,839,218.99 Tolleson Union High School District $7,571,365.40
Casa Grande Elementary District $1,718,113.97 Casa Grande Elementary District $7,072,934.77
Balsz Elementary District $1,649,049.88 Kingman Unified School District $6,767,033.37
Kingman Unified School District $1,643,832.54 Fowler Elementary District $6,728,290.92
Fowler Elementary District $1,634,421.24 Balsz Elementary District $6,676,508.92
Florence Unified School District $1,591,119.78 Florence Unified School District $6,608,113.68
Flagstaff Unified District $1,571,344.58 Whiteriver Unified District $6,545,727.43
Sierra Vista Unified District $1,446,034.29 Kayenta Unified District $6,308,720.55
Whiteriver Unified District $1,320,524.94 Flagstaff Unified District $6,137,515.48
Gadsden Elementary District $1,305,353.14 Sierra Vista Unified District $5,507,013.62
Coolidge Unified District $1,301,824.05 Gadsden Elementary District $5,373,642.41
Apache Junction Unified District $1,289,942.00 Flowing Wells Unified District $5,237,156.31
Flowing Wells Unified District $1,261,038.47 American Leadership Academy, Inc. $5,169,312.09
Osborn Elementary District $1,249,531.15 Apache Junction Unified District $5,111,069.81
Crane Elementary District $1,195,318.52 Coolidge Unified District $4,983,582.74
Kayenta Unified District $1,189,663.56 Crane Elementary District $4,920,671.69
Murphy Elementary District $1,169,915.43 Humboldt Unified District $4,801,577.92
Humboldt Unified District $1,166,388.53 Marana Unified District $4,777,558.60
Marana Unified District $1,151,547.40 Avondale Elementary District $4,761,816.09
Avondale Elementary District $1,149,022.62 Osborn Elementary District $4,751,065.08


While multiple studies show that students are suffering greatly from school closures including increased anxiety and even suicide, Hoffman has been nearly silent on the subject of student mental health and what programs might be developed with the millions in surplus monies not allocated to schools to improve students’ mental and intellectual well-being.

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