by Matthew Holloway | Apr 29, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne offered criticism of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) governing board for rejecting the urgent request of two of its high schools’ employees and administrators to place armed security officers on campus. Horne said that the decision is an “error” that is placing these schools, their students, and faculty at risk.
In a press conference Thursday, alongside three current and former educators of PXU, Horne called upon the board to reconsider its decision and authorize the deployment of armed officers at Betty Fairfax and Carl Hayden High Schools.
Horne told reporters, “The governing board made a mistake by rejecting the wishes of its district administrators and the two principals of these schools. Board members do not have to show up on campus every school day and deal with safety problems, but teachers, students and staff do. They know how bad the situation has become. Principals at these two schools requested armed officers through the state’s School Safety program that the Department of Education agreed to pay for them. The board should have respected the wishes of its own educators.”
The superintendent added, “Should the unthinkable happen and an armed maniac kills students at a school as we have seen in other states, the parents of those students would never forgive those responsible for failing to provide protection for the school.”
In the March decision, the board voted 5-2 to reject state funding to place an officer to be shared between the schools. The funding would have used excess funds under the Arizona Department of Education’s School Safety Program to hire a police officer, and the position would have been funded through June 2026. Neither school presently has an assigned officer on campus.
Phoenix Union students protested the presence of police on campus in 2020, demanding their removal. The district chose not to renew its contract with Phoenix PD shortly after, only moving to bring in School Resource Officers in 2023. There are two School Resource Officers (SROs) employed by PXU assigned to other schools full-time and four “school safety officers,” off-duty law enforcement officers assigned to schools without SROs.
Speaking at the press conference, Horne sought to make “a respectful request” of the PXU Governing Board saying, “The school board should give some thought to the safety (of teachers and administrators).”
The educators who joined Horne, Retired PXU teacher Mark Williams, Susan Groff, a National Board-Certified Teacher, and Pamela Kelley, M. Ed., suggested that the existing coverage of PXU is insufficient.
Williams said, “Superintendent Tom Horne is attempting to protect students and staff by an ever-increasing threat of violence because some parents are failing to parent, and the school board is bending to a very few but vocal community about not having their children around police officers. One should ask ‘why’?”
Groff highlighted the positive impact the presence of SROs has saying, “As a retired teacher and longtime resident of this community, I have seen firsthand the positive impact School Resource Officers have in our high schools. Their presence not only enhances safety but fosters trust and support among student and staff.”
In addition to the call for officers, Kelley suggested more action is needed: “All Phoenix Union High School District Schools need metal detectors and School Resource Officers (SROs) for the safety and security of the students, staff, and visitors.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 28, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a joint interview with boxing legend “Iron Mike” Mike Tyson, Congressman Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ08) told Fox News earlier this month that the retired World Heavyweight Champion is working with House Republicans to roll out Rep. Hamadeh’s bill establishing the Congressional Fitness Challenge in his schools.
The new Congressional Fitness Challenge will include five core fitness tests: the 1-Mile Run/Walk, Pull-Ups/Flexed Arm Hang, Curl-Ups or Sit-Ups, Shuttle Run, and Sit-and-Reach. Students who participate can earn gold, silver, or bronze level recognition based upon attainment of “clear, age-appropriate standards.”
Students who successfully complete the challenge will receive a signed certificate from the Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the student’s senator and congressman.
Hamadeh and Tyson described the impetus behind the resolution as an effort to combat a threat to national security presented by studies showing that 77% of fighting aged Americans from 17 to 24 would require a medical wavier in order to serve in the military.
Tyson told Hamadeh that the program, also supported by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, gives him hope for the future of our nation.
With both Tyson and Favre, the congressman hearkened back to the creation of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness by President John F. Kennedy, who said at the time, “We do not want in the United States a nation of spectators. We want a nation of participants in the vigorous life.”
Hamadeh and Favre warned then, “As a Hall of Fame professional quarterback and a United States Congressman, we come from different arenas – but we stand united by a common concern. America’s youth are facing a silent crisis of physical fitness. Childhood obesity has tripled since the 1970s. Physical activity is down. Strength and stamina are declining.”
“I think this is going to improve, and people are going to get better, and people want to get healthier,” Tyson said. “I just believe that. It can be helped.”
Hamadeh answered, “I agree with ‘Iron Mike,’ and am grateful for his powerful support for the program and shared dedication to improving the health of our kids. Youth are facing a silent crisis with childhood obesity having tripled since the 1970s, so it is imperative that we do all we can to revive physical excellence among America’s youth to build a stronger nation.”
Hamadeh wrote for Outkick that the nationwide initiative is now open to all kids, ages 6 through 17, whether in public, private, or homeschool settings and that the Congressional Fitness Challenge must become part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, and not merely be reduced to another federal program.
“It’s voluntary, but it taps into something deep in the American spirit – the drive to push harder, to be better, and to set and conquer goals.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 28, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Grand Canyon University, despite a tumultuous period which saw unprecedented fines and targeting by the Biden administration, reported the largest number of graduates in the Christian university’s history for its 75th Anniversary.
According to the university, the GCU Class of 2025 will graduate 31,104 students, 5,669 of them in person at the university’s Phoenix campus and another 25,435 online. Commencement ceremonies for in-person students are already underway as of this report and will take place between April 29th and May 2nd for online students.
“This year’s record-breaking graduating class reflects the dedication of our exceptional students, the unwavering support of our faculty and staff, and our commitment to offering innovative educational opportunities across multiple delivery platforms,” said GCU President Brian Mueller.
“Whether through in-person classes, online learning, hybrid models or accelerated pathways, our flexible approach allows us to connect with students no matter their life circumstances. Increasingly, more and more families are seeking these opportunities, especially when taught from a Christian worldview perspective,” he added.
“Our focus remains on partnering directly with employers to help them address their workforce shortages, especially in critical sectors like education, healthcare, technology, engineering, social work, counseling and the military,” Mueller said. “While many universities have scaled back programs amid declining enrollments since the pandemic, GCU has introduced 148 new academic programs, emphases and certificates across our 10 colleges, all aligned with current labor market demands.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), under the Biden-Harris administration, imposed a staggering $37 million fine against Grand Canyon University despite the DOE failing to reveal any meaningful complaint against the university. In response, the Goldwater Institute launched a lawsuit against the agency demanding an explanation.
In 2024, Arizona’s Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne called upon the Biden administration to come to the table with GCU after Richard Cordray, the Chief Operating Officer of the Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid, claimed the university had lied to, “more than 7,500 former and current students about the cost of its doctoral programs over several years.” The claim was made despite a complete lack of legal proceedings to adjudicate it.
Horne wrote, “In the U.S., anyone accused of wrongdoing is presumed innocent and entitled to their day in court. For a Cabinet-level official, one who is sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution, your threat against GCU is contrary to those constitutional guarantees and unworthy of your position. It is unwarranted, unjust and the latest episode of harassment against this school by the federal government.”
At the time, GCU responded to then-U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, stating, “GCU has been asked repeatedly why it believes it is being targeted by federal agencies of the Biden administration. Here’s what we can tell you: Mr. Cardona’s inflammatory comments make very clear the Department of Education’s intentions and their disdain for institutions that do not fit their ideological agenda. What’s also clear is that ED has no lawful grounds to carry out those intentions based on their disingenuous and factually unsupportable allegations.”
Despite the controversy with the DOE, the Christian university celebrated its 75th Anniversary through a Week of Service in the fall that featured over 1,000 opportunities to serve across 40 different ministries. In addition, it also held its first-ever Amethyst Gala, which raised approximately $1.5 million to benefit the university’s ambitious Five-Point Plan to transform the west Phoenix community it calls home.
GCU boasts an enrollment of almost 25,000 students taking traditional classes in Phoenix with another 98,000 or more students online around the world.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
During the Arizona Corporation Commission’s annual Summer Preparedness Workshop, Chair Kevin Thompson and Vice Chair Nick Myers essentially echoed the talking points of Arizona Public Service Company (APS) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP). Both utility companies implicitly refused to reactivate the Cholla and Springerville Coal-Fired Power Plants in defiance of President Trump’s Executive Order earlier this month. Thompson claimed doing so would “jeopardize the grid and burden ratepayers with millions of dollars in short-sighted costs.”
In early April, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) using emergency authority to keep APS’ Cholla Power Plant in operation. In a statement issued with the EO, Trump said, “I am instructing Secretary Wright to save the Cholla coal plant in Arizona, which has been slated for destruction. We’re going to keep those coal miners on the job. We’re going to have that plant opening and burning beautiful, clean coal in a very short period of time.”
According to an emailed release from the ACC, the APS representative at the workshop “stated that the process that culminated in closing the plant began ten years ago because of new regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) making the operation of the plant uneconomic for their customers.” The utility added, per the ACC that “because of the ongoing EPA regulations requiring new equipment for pollution control and significant deferred capital and maintenance investments that would have to be made, the re-opening and continued operation of the Cholla plant would come at a significantly high cost for customers.”
APS reiterated that it intends to preserve the infrastructure of the power plant and offered that it could be used as a potential site for nuclear or natural gas power later, implicitly refusing to bring the coal-fired plant back online.
Similarly, TEP confirmed that it still intends to move forward with the scheduled retirement of Units 1 and 2 at the coal-fired Springerville Generating Station after the summer of 2027 and after the summer of 2032. The utility is also exploring the possibility of repurposing the power station for an alternative fuel source.
Vice Chair Myers commented, “We’re all aware of the detrimental loss of electric capacity with the closure of Arizona coal plants, and in part because of ongoing EPA regulations. It is a day late and a dollar short when it comes to re-opening the Cholla plant. Trying to re-open Cholla at this point would result in significantly higher rates for customers,” repeating the APS talking point.
He added, “The utilities have already been planning for this retirement and replacement costs are already being born by the utility customers. Re-opening Cholla would also require significant capital and maintenance investments that have been deferred. Further, the EPA requirements that made the continued operation of Cholla not cost-effective are still in effect. The damage has already been done. Arizona utilities are prepared for that and already planning to repurpose those plants for future generation, such as nuclear or natural gas-fired power.”
“Bringing the Cholla plant into compliance with Obama era EPA requirements will require the installation of costly scrubbers on the coal-fired units that would cost ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Chair Kevin Thompson.
Thompson added a subtle critique of the President’s movement to reactivate the Cholla Generating Station saying, “The Commission must hold utilities accountable and ensure that we have reliable and dispatchable generation to meet the load demands of the future. We also have to make sure we accomplish that goal in a manner that doesn’t jeopardize the grid and burden ratepayers with millions of dollars in short-sighted costs that fail to meaningfully address our long-term energy needs.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Maricopa County Supervisor Mark Stewart is hoping the latest Shared Services Agreement (SSA) approved unanimously this week by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors wins approval by Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap.
In a statement, Stewart wrote, “Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send a new draft of the Shared Services Agreement (SSA) concerning election responsibilities to Maricopa County Recorder, Justin Heap. This updated draft incorporates feedback from the Recorder’s Office. To be clear, this is not the final version of the SSA. The Recorder will now have the opportunity to review the document, propose additional revisions, and return it to the Board for further consideration.
He added, “Based on my discussions with Recorder Heap and members of the Board, we are 95% of the way towards finalizing the SSA. I am more optimistic about this process than at any point previously and am confident that we will reach a signed agreement in the near future.”
Board Chairman Thomas Galvin wrote in a statement Thursday, “For months, the Board and its staff have been negotiating details of a new SSA in good faith. It’s time the public knows the full story, and this latest agreement includes many concessions from our Board.”
In a statement released the same day, and later retracted, shared by several outlets, Heap wrote, “The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors presentation today was one side of an ongoing negotiation. Recorder Heap disagrees with some statements that were made; however, his focus remains on getting an elections agreement in place that best serves the voters of Maricopa County. The agreement put forth by the Board today represents the framework of a deal, but the devil is in the details, and those details still need to be ironed out. Recent delays in the negotiation stem from the Recorder’s need to secure more adequate counsel.
“With the appointment of former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould to assist in the negotiations, Recorder Heap anticipates and looks forward to a successful resolution and agreement in the near future.”
Under Arizona law, the responsibility for the management of elections falls between the County Boards of Supervisors and County Recorders. Ostensibly Shared Service Agreements delineate the responsibilities of each body to increase efficiency and prevent unnecessary spending.
Supervisor Debbie Lesko expressed herself as being “beyond frustrated,” with the process saying, “After the April 11th meeting between Recorder Heap and Supervisors Galvin and Brophy-McGee, Justin texted me saying the meeting ‘went very well, we seem to be in agreement on 95% and are only discussing minor details on how to effectively split the IT team.’ Our lawyer writes up the agreement based on the meeting and then, next thing I know, Justin fires his attorney and we seem to be back to square one.”
Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee laid the difficulties directly at the feat of the County Recorder saying, “Recorder Heap has not been a trustworthy partner in these negotiations. He doesn’t seem to know what he wants. He doesn’t seem to understand his statutory responsibilities. The only thing he seems to be really good at is threatening lawsuits. But there’s time for him to change. He can come back to the table and sign this agreement. I hope he does. Successful elections in Maricopa County depend on it.”
As of this report Recorder Heap has not released a revised statement, nor explained why the initial statement was taken down.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
