A new report from the state indicates that school districts have declined to invest their record funding into their teachers.
Instead, critics analyzing the report say, school districts have opted to pay more for their superintendents, unused buildings, and trips for administrators.
The Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee issued a report earlier this month estimating that Arizona public schools receive a record high of nearly $15,600 per student annually. Yet, estimates reflect the average Arizona teacher’s salary adjusted for inflation is more than $6,400 lower than it was in 2001.
Average teacher pay was more than $37,000 for the 2000-2001 school year, which would be more than $72,000 in today’s dollars; however, teachers made around $65,600 in 2025.
The auditor general’s office has reported on multiple occasions that districts are disproportionately allocating classroom site funding intended for teachers on non-instructional expenses.
Proposition 320 would require public school districts to spend at least 60% of their operational budget on direct instructional expenses. If passed, the proposition would allow districts below that 60% threshold to increase their instructional spending by 0.5% each year.
Districts who fail to comply would lose money from the classroom site fund at a rate of 25% in the first year, 50% in the second year, 75% in the third year, and 100% in the fourth and all future years of noncompliance.
The proposition allows the superintendent of public instruction to waive those penalties twice every 10 years, or up to three times if a district requests a second waiver more than four years after the first waiver.
School districts impacted by Proposition 320 would include those that serve at least 7,500 students and exist in a county of at least 500,000 people. Only Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties qualify for the latter criteria.
Approximately 94 out of 207 school districts in the state would be impacted by Proposition 320 if passed, according to an analysis by the Common Sense Institute of Arizona.
Organizations have polar opposite views on how the proposition would impact public school funding.
The Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based public policy and litigation organization and a supporter of Proposition 320, claims the proposition will improve teacher salaries by shrinking administrative costs.
“Simply put, Arizona taxpayers deserve better stewardship of their education dollars,” stated the Goldwater Institute in a press release.
Goldwater cited instances of what it called administrative “bloat,” such as the Dysart Unified School District spending nearly $500,000 to send nearly 200 employees to a luxury resort casino in Las Vegas for three-day training events three years in a row. The district then undertook what it determined to be a necessary cost-saving measure by eliminating bus routes to save the district around $500,000.
In another instance, the Arizona auditor general found that Baboquivari Elementary School District was spending wastefully, including its decision to spend $300,000 on a single two-day, out-of-state conference for employees.
The organization also cited the high salary of the Tolleson Union High School District superintendent who attempted to push through an $80 million taxpayer-funded football stadium.
Save Our Schools Arizona, a Phoenix-based education advocacy organization and opponent of Proposition 320, claims the proposition will cut funding to schools. Opponents of the measure maintain that current administrative spending trends are not problematic, and that a one-size-fits-all approach to district spending would impose pressures on districts and jeopardize student support and school operations.
“[This is] a deceptive ballot measure aimed to defund critical public school services like transportation, sports, food services, and special education,” posted Save Our Schools Arizona on social media.
The debate over Proposition 320 centers on whether requiring districts to devote a larger share of their budgets to classroom instruction would improve educational spending or limit districts’ ability to fund other services. Arizona voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to adopt the proposed spending requirements in the November election.
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Maricopa County has concluded its early voting operations and will prepare for Election Day.
Early voting concluded on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voting and ballot drop box locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., but voters who are still in line as of 7 p.m. will be permitted to vote.
The recorder’s office issued a press release explaining that it would continue certain responsibilities leading up to and following Election Day. These responsibilities include verifying the signatures on early ballot affidavit envelopes, contacting voters whose signatures don’t match their voter registration records, and processing provisional ballots.
Voters may opt to use the “Stamp and Go” process by providing their ID with their early mail ballots to bypass the traditional signature verification process. Those ballots will be tabulated on site.
The recorder’s office also reminded the public that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ Elections Department will handle oversight of all emergency voting and Election Day operations. The board’s Elections Department will oversee the vote centers, ballot drop boxes, polling place staff, on-site ID Verify tabulation, and all voting equipment.
Voters whose ballot signatures don’t match their voter registration records have until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 to cure their ballot. Curing may occur over the phone or online.
Mail-in ballots that have not been returned must be dropped off at a designated drop box or voting location by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The last recommended day to mail back a mail-in ballot was Oct. 27.
Maricopa County voters may visit the Maricopa County Elections website to find a drop box or voting location, and to review which forms of ID are accepted for voting in person. The website is equipped with a map function that allows voters to sort voting locations near them by shortest wait times.
Maricopa County will have 254 vote centers available for in-person voting on Election Day. All vote centers are equipped with drop boxes for returning mail ballots; the county also has 16 drop box locations without in-person voting on Election Day. All locations will operate from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There are two 24-hour drop boxes open on Election Day from 12 a.m. to 7 p.m., one at Maricopa County’s ballot tabulation center at 510 South 3rd Avenue in Phoenix, and one at Maricopa County Elections’ Mesa location at 222 East Javelina Avenue.
Ballot tracking is available for most voters through BeBallotReady.Vote. Voters who are classified as a protected person or a member of the Address Confidentiality Program can’t access the BeBallotReady dashboard.
Maricopa County voters with questions may call the county elections department at 602-506-1511.
As of this report, Maricopa County has received more than 900,000 ballots. Also this week, the federal government submitted letters to state election officials as a reminder of their requirement to preserve election materials for 22 months following a federal election.
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The city of Tucson is tasking employees to track the bathroom visits by the homeless in public parks.
The city is assigning employees to create a weekly census of the homeless people who use park bathrooms, in addition to ramadas. These city employees work within the Parks Assistance and Community Engagement (PACE), a newer unit within its Parks and Recreation department created over the summer specifically to observe and address the homeless.
PACE refers to its responses to homelessness-related concerns as “Homeless Protocol assessments.”
PACE consists of one supervisor, three coordinators, and five groundskeepers. The city considers PACE the Parks and Recreation department’s dedicated response team for homelessness-related concerns in parks, and the leader for community engagement initiatives.
In total, the city department employs 55 people to manage the bathrooms and ramadas across its 130 parks.
PACE works alongside the city’s Homeless Outreach, Environmental Services, and the Tucson Police Department to respond to homelessness-related issues.
A memorandum issued during the city council’s study session last Tuesday revealed that the city will apply the PACE-collected data to measure the effectiveness of localized cleanups; resources offered by the city’s Community Safety, Health, and Wellness team; and Tucson Police Department enforcement of the after-hours no-camping ordinance.
The city council banned camping in parks, along with city washes, earlier this summer in a 5-1 vote in an effort to address the mass homeless encampments taking over in those public areas. Those who violate the ban may face misdemeanor charges that may result in a $250 fine and community service or up to 10 days in jail.
The city was moved to pass the ordinance, which mainly impacts the homeless, after residents successfully sued the city for intentionally failing to address the homeless encampments in public areas. A court ruled last year that the city intentionally adopted a protocol that consented to the nuisance and crimes committed by the homeless in their encampments.
The pressure of that court decision was compounded by Proposition 312, a measure voters passed, also last year, that awards a tax credit to certain property owners burdened by homeless encampments. Individuals may file for reimbursement if they’re required to take protective measures, like installing protective bars or video cameras, against a public nuisance that their local government has declined to address.
Residents have routinely complained during public comment at city meetings that the homeless encampments are hotbeds for crime, including public indecency, public defecation, open-air drug use, arson, physical and sexual assaults, and even murder.
According to the Point-in-Time count from this year, the city had around 2,130 recorded homeless in Tucson and Pima County. This latest count reflected a 4% decrease, or 88 fewer individuals, compared to the count in 2025.
This slight decline fails to make a dent in recent the explosive growth in homelessness in recent years. From 2019 to 2020, the city reported that homelessness in the area increased by 300%.
The ongoing problem of homelessness prompted city leaders to declare an emergency earlier this year. The emergency declaration is set to expire next February, and it enables expeditions of permit requests from nonprofits and charitable entities who aid the city with providing resources to the homeless.
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A man who attempted to murder a Phoenix police officer was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday.
Essa Williams, 28, shot and critically wounded Officer Tyler Moldovan in the early morning hours of Dec. 14, 2021.
Moldovan responded to reports of vehicles speeding and doing doughnuts around 2 a.m. One of those vehicles belonged to Williams.
Williams shot Moldovan eight times, once in the head; reports reflect that he continued firing even after Moldovan was on the ground, and attempted to pull Moldovan’s handgun from his holster.
Moldovan was placed on life support; his recovery is considered a miracle.
It is unclear how Williams was in public that December night. At the time of the shooting, Williams was a convicted felon freed after three years into a 23-year sentence for multiple counts of armed robbery and aggravated assault.
For the attempted murder of Moldovan, Williams received two life sentences plus 25 years, and will be eligible for parole after 50 years.
Williams smiled throughout his sentencing. In a 20-minute statement to the judge, Williams said that the shooting was justified and that the situation was “forced” onto him. Williams said the cops had targeted him because of his race.
“I did nothing wrong and was hunted for their amusement,” said Williams.
He expressed no remorse for shooting the officers, comparing them to the Ku Klux Klan. Williams said he should have been given a traffic stop and a warning or citation instead of being followed.
“There was no ambush. Nothing about this was ever premeditated. There was never even a motive. I was never offered a plea, let alone a lesser charge, and I get it,” said Wiliams. “I’m certain freaking and spooking out black kids at 2:30 in the morning, that’s not their duty. That’s the duty of the Ku Klux Klan in a sundown town.”
Erika LaRae Williams, Williams’ mother, has also gone to prison in connection with her son’s criminal activities. Erika bought Williams a firearm in the months following his release from prison in 2020, though that firearm was not the one Williams used to shoot Moldovan. Erika was sentenced to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release in 2023.
Moldovan’s recovery is ongoing to this day. He has gone through eight neurological rehabilitation programs, four different hospitals, and nearly 20 outpatient doctors.
Moldovan gave an impact statement at Williams’ sentencing in which he denounced Williams’ actions as “wicked and malicious.” Moldovan explained that it had been a dream of his since high school to become a police officer. Now, Moldovan said he struggles with basic tasks, and cannot do activities with his loved ones, like playing with his nieces and nephews or going camping with friends, without “significant” help.
The Moldovans also say they can never become parents because of the debilitating injuries Moldovan sustained.
“My life is vastly altered. I will never be the same because of this brutal and unnecessary attack,” said Moldovan. “The simplest everyday tasks present immense challenges. The constant burning and debilitating nerve pain only adds to the daily difficulties.”
Moldovan said Williams was selfish and unrepentant. Williams smiled and nodded throughout Moldovan’s impact statement.
“He wasn’t scared of the police, he was scared of facing the consequences of his unlawful and culpable actions. Because of his selfish behavior, I will live the rest of my life in agonizing pain and suffering,” said Moldovan. “He has a chance to rehabilitate and prove that he can be better while he was on probation for other violent offenses, but he has shown that he cannot. He is nothing but violent and a danger to society.”
Moldovan is working to heal to a point where he can rejoin the Phoenix Police Department.
Moldovan’s wife and high school sweetheart, Chelsea, has been his full-time caregiver since the attack. Chelsea was reportedly forced to resign from her job at a hospital, where she was working toward attending school to become a physician assistant.
The Moldovans released a statement thanking God for Moldovan’s life, the community for its support, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for securing William’s conviction.
“We are eternally grateful and blessed for mcaoaz’s amazing prosecution team that poured countless hours to bring forth justice. For @phoenixpolice’s support all these years as Tyler continues to give his all to be able to serve once again as your officer. For your support to our family and squad in the darkest days,” said the Moldovans. “And the greatest thank you of all to our dear family and friends. Who have showed up in more ways than we could describe. God knew who we would need in the midst of our greatest trial, our heaviest season. Thank you God for your goodness, faithfulness and everlasting love.”
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The Maricopa County recorder is alleging the dissemination of “election misinformation” regarding the signature verification process.
ABC15 reporter Garrett Archer said mail-in ballot signature rejection rates have been higher this year because the recorder’s office removed certain identifiers that previously helped signature verifiers validate voters’ signatures.
Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap rejected the claim as false.
Heap said that the only identifiers removed from the view of signature verifiers were the voter’s personally identifying information, which includes party affiliation. Heap said the lack of personally identifying information doesn’t impact verifiers’ ability to determine whether ballot signatures match the signatures on voter records.
Heap said the personally identifying information was extraneous and not necessary for signature verification processes.
“Put simply, the verifiers should not know anything about a voter other than whether the current signature matches the other historic signatures for the individual,” said Heap. “This protects all voters and has no bearing on rejection rates.”
Let me be very clear, Garrett Archer is trafficking in election misinformation.
The only “identifiers” that have been removed from the view of verifiers during the Signature Verification process is the voter’s personally indentifiable information, including party affiliation.… https://t.co/kxAgqsLqZL
— Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) October 28, 2026
However, Archer claimed that Heap’s response only served as confirmation for his claims. Archer pointed to the uptick in signature rejection rates last year and earlier this year, arguing that the increased signature rejection rates were directly caused by the removal of personally identifying information.
“The removal of identifiers will result in an increase in signature rejections,” said Archer. “We’ve already seen this in previous elections this year.”
Maricopa County's signature rejection rate this November was enormous.
Election integrity advocates countered that the increase in signature rejection rates may not necessarily be a bad thing.
Merissa Caldwell, EZAZ founder, said that the disclosure of political party affiliation may have had some influence on signature verifiers in past elections.
“The puppet admits that since the Maricopa County Recorder removed the Party identifier from the signature review screen, affidavit signatures are no longer being reviewed with bias to push signatures through that don’t match the voter’s signature attributes,” said Caldwell.
🚨The puppet admits that since the Maricopa County Recorder removed the Party identifier from the signature review screen, affidavit signatures are no longer being reviewed with bias to push signatures through that don't match the voter's signature attributes pic.twitter.com/VsBO9iIoAK
A rejection of a signature on a mail ballot doesn’t mean the ballot is outright rejected. Voters have the opportunity to cure their signature until November 8. Voters may cure their signature using the Voter Dashboard or via phone call.
Maricopa County voters who are unsure about the status of their ballot may either subscribe for text or email notifications, or check up on it using the Voter Dashboard.
As of Tuesday — the last day for voters to return their mail ballot through USPS — Maricopa County has received mail ballots from approximately 630,000 voters. Arizona only accepts ballots received in hand by an election official by 7 p.m. on November 3, Election Day, not according to the postmarked date on the ballot.
Voters who have yet to cast their ballot may still cast their mail ballot early by dropping it off at a polling location, vote center, or official drop box. Or, voters may vote in person. Early in-person voting ends this Friday, October 30.
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