The Kyrene School District (KSD) will be closing six schools over the next two years due to budgetary concerns from declining enrollment.
After months of deliberations, the KSD Governing Board voted unanimously to close four elementary schools and two middle schools.
The four elementary schools closing are Kyrene de la Colina, Kyrene de la Estrella, Kyrene de las Manitas, and Kyrene Traditional Academy. The two middle schools closing are Kyrene Akimel A-al and Kyrene del Pueblo.
Kyrene de la Colina, Kyrene de la Estrella, and Kyrene de las Manitas will close in the 2026-27 school year. Kyrene Traditional Academy, Kyrene del Pueblo, and Kyrene Akimel A-al will close in the 2027-28 school year.
This consolidation will result in the boundary modification of nine schools within the district: Kyrene de la Esperanza, Kyrene de las Lomas, Kyrene del Milenio, Kyrene de la Mirada, Kyrene de la Sierra, Kyrene Altadena, Kyrene Aprende, Kyrene Centennial, and Kyrene Middle School will experience boundary changes.
The governing board projected the six closures would save the district around $5.8 million annually, thereby avoiding most of a projected $6.7 million budget deficit.
Some parents who spoke against the school closures asked the governing board to reduce the number of closures to five instead of six. Overall, most who took to the podium recognized the need for a reduction in the number of schools in the district.
Superintendent Laura Toenjes promised the district would prioritize student needs during the upcoming transition.
“This is about caring for people through change and making sure students and staff are supported every step of the way,” said Toenjes.
KSD will provide families with information on enrollment pathways and school assignments, bell schedule updates, and transportation information in January prior to the enrollment portal opening in February.
Per the Common Sense Institute Arizona, KSD’s enrollment declined by nearly 20 percent over the past six years, but its budget increased by nearly 80 percent.
Kyrene’s enrollment is down 19 percent since 2019. Over the same period of time, their total budget has increased by 79 percent. Total capital expenditures have increased by 44 percent.
A data dashboard on all district enrollment, capacity, and budgets by the Common Sense Institute Arizona shows that over half the school districts in the state have declined in enrollment since 2019.
On average, their research found school districts haven’t grown since 2008. Apart from the declining student-age population, parents are choosing alternatives to traditional public schooling. Charter school enrollment nearly doubled during the pandemic, from 2020 to 2022; a majority of private schools researched had reported enrollment growth; and homeschooling increased from two percent to an 11 percent peak during the pandemic before falling back to a new high average between six and seven percent.
Despite this significant decline in traditional public school enrollment, Common Sense Institute Arizona found, further, that these schools reported a significant increase in spending: 80 percent since 2010.
Since January, at least eight other school districts have announced school closures and consolidations: Cave Creek Unified School District (two schools), Phoenix Elementary School District (two schools), Mesa Unified School District (staff layoffs), Isaac School District (two schools), Edkey, Inc. Sequoia Village School (one school), American Heritage Academy (one school), Roosevelt Elementary School District (five schools), Amphitheater School District (proposed four schools for closure).
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After this week, Arizona PBS will have one less program broadcasting the western news.
Arizona State University (ASU) declined to renew its contract with NewsHour West, a bureau in downtown Phoenix under the member station operated by ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona PBS (KAET).
NewsHour West provided western regional news, late breaking news, and a West Coast version of the news provided by the East Coast-based NewsHour.
"Native Americans have some of the highest risk factors for developing Alzheimer's. A 2024 NIH study found that 54 percent of older American Indians now have some degree of cognitive impairment, a significantly higher rate compared to the general population," @TheStephSy reports.…
The NewsHour West team consisted of Stephanie Sy, anchor and correspondent; Phil Maravilla, senior producer; Lena Jackson, deputy senior producer; Madison Staten, associate producer; and Justin Stabley, digital editor.
Back in April, Arizona PBS expanded in a different direction. The broadcasting station entered an agreement with Amazon Prime to offer free streaming to Arizona-based viewers.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the private, nonprofit corporation which passes on federal funds to both PBS and NPR, announced in August that it would shut down after Congress reduced public broadcasting funds.
CPB lost around $1 billion in funding meant to fund broadcasting over the next two years.
A majority of CPB staff were laid off at September’s end; CPB said it planned to retain a skeleton crew until January, at least, to see through its remaining legal and financial obligations.
As it winds down, CPB has continued to administer its remaining millions as awards to various public broadcasting outlets and news organizations.
CPB’s demise occurred following its repeated resistance to efforts by President Donald Trump to bring the nonprofit to heel.
The Trump administration attempted to fire three CPB board members, prompting CPB to sue in April. That case is ongoing.
Then CPB refused Trump’s executive order, released in May, ordering CPB to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS. Longtime CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said Trump lacked authority over CPB, and that CPB was “wholly independent” of the federal government.
About 15 percent of the PBS budget relied on federal funding. The remainder comes from private donors, corporate sponsors, and nonprofits.
The NewsHour corporate sponsors are BNSF, Consumer Cellular, and Raymond James. Among the top foundation and individual funders are the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, Charles F. Kettering Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation, Lumina Foundation for Education, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Park Foundation, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, and The Walton Family Foundation.
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Wealthy leftists outside the state are paying big money to deepen the blue in Arizona.
An investigative report by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) and AZ Liberty Network (AZLN) documented the way national organizations are funding to strengthen Democratic politics in Arizona: Donor Advised Funds, dark-money intermediaries, and teachers’ unions.
AFEC and AZLN found the flow of funds totaled over $1 billion, at least.
Per the report, these tax-advantaged funds don’t arrive in Arizona directly. The millions change hands between different organizations before coming into the state, sometimes multiple times, effectively turning the money dark.
“Money enters the system tax-free, travels invisibly, and reemerges as ‘local’ influence with national fingerprints erased,” reads the report. “The result is a tax-advantaged, publicly underwritten, and union-fueled political machine that dwarfs traditional party structures, and it has reshaped Arizona’s civic landscape. It is not organic, spontaneous, or homegrown—it is manufactured, calculated, and imported, creating an institutionalized system of progressive infrastructure.”
The money flow begins with what the report calls “Upstream Sources.” Two cost-saving vehicles make the funding flows a reality: tax-advantaged Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and direct taxpayer subsidization available through federal grantmaking. The former includes funds like Fidelity Charitable, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Rockefeller Advisors. The latter vehicle largely operates through USAID. This agency gave the Tides Center $25 million to combat “misinformation.”
In 2024, the report found the Upstream Sources spent over $33 million in Arizona in non-federal races — a key year for determining which party would control the state legislature.
Altogether, Upstream Sources sent over $1 billion to organizations that acted as intermediaries — “Intermediary Organizations” — such as Sunflower Services (until recently, Arabella Advisors), Tides Nexus, and networks backed by billionaires George Soros or Hansjörg Wyss. Soros and Wyss also act as Upstream Sources.
From there, these funds finally make their way into Arizona. Top recipients that received millions include One Arizona, LUCHA, ACE, Chispa, Arizona Mirror, and the Copper Courier: the “Arizona Groups,” per the report.
The report alleged that the last two nonprofits listed, Arizona Mirror and Copper Courier, are news sites run by “Democratic operatives.”
Arizona Groups spent over $7 million to support down-ticket legislative Democrats, and nearly $5 million against the Republicans.
Further on the report mapped out how teachers’ unions fund local political action committees to influence Arizona races.
“These taxpayer-funded transfers, ostensibly for professional development or services, ultimately help free funds to support the same partisan infrastructure advancing the Left’s political objectives across Arizona,” stated the report.
Additionally, the report noted that the Arizona Education Association shares its headquarters building with other progressive organizations, such as One Arizona.
AFEC’s press release on the report interpreted the flow of funds as national influencing of local issues.
“This isn’t activism, it’s a professional, tax-advantaged political operation designed to look local but controlled from afar,” stated AFEC. “Arizona isn’t changing — it’s being engineered. Conservatives need a clear roadmap, strong counter-infrastructure, and strategic engagement to protect the state’s future and preserve local control.”
AFEC President Scot Mussi told “Winn Tucson” that the report was inspired by the USAID scandal around the time of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. That prompted curiosity about the origins of funding for Arizona’s major progressive political organizations.
Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, joins Kathleen Winn on WINN TUCSON KVOI 1030 to discuss the Club’s newly released “Arizona’s Liberal NGO Syndicate Report.” Mussi breaks down how a coordinated network of national nonprofits and political intermediaries… pic.twitter.com/9QjDCpQUD5
The leadership at one BASIS Charter School allegedly told families they were required to honor one of their coach’s new transgender identity.
Community members shared an email they claimed to have obtained a copy of from Basis Chandler Primary North, an elementary school, which advised parents to have themselves and their children abide by nondiscrimination policies in relation to the physical education coach, Michael Jahrman — now “Lily” Jahrman.
The email allegedly told parents that they should tell their children not to question Jahrman’s gender or gender identity.
“Coach Jahrman has recently undergone a personal transition and will now be known as Lily Jahrman. Students may continue to use ‘Coach’ when addressing this staff member,” stated the email. “BASIS follows all nondiscrimination policies, including those related to gender, and remains committed to providing a respectful and supportive environment for every student and employee. Please take a moment to let your child know that Coach’s appearance has changed so that PE classes can continue smoothly without unnecessary questions. Coach’s focus remains on teaching and supporting students in PE.”
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Families received a letter stating the male coach has transitioned to female & students should refer to him as her or "Coach"?
School policy provides further context for the implications of this email. The policy indicates that an elementary school student who misgenders or deadnames Jahrman would be subject to discipline. “Deadnaming” refers to calling an individual by their given name that preceded their gender transition.
BASIS Charter Schools’ code of conduct clarifies it maintains “a zero tolerance policy toward any language or behavior that intimidates, belittles or causes physical or emotional injury to others.” This zero tolerance policy allows each school to have discretion over the disciplinary consequence(s) administered.
The code of conduct also prohibits an undefined, non-comprehensive list of “certain behaviors,” including “derogatory statements” referencing any individual’s “sexuality [or] gender expression.”
Further on, the code of conduct clarifies that nondiscrimination policy expands to “actual or perceived classification protected by law.” Associated training materials clarify that the Title IX sex discrimination prohibition extends to gender identity and expression.
“Students must observe the school’s policies pertaining to behavior, respect, and anti-harassment/non-discrimination in all interactions with peers and school staff,” states the code of conduct. “Students may not engage in speech that is threatening, vulgar, or harassing.”
Court records revealed that Jahrman filed an application for change of name of an adult back in mid-September before the Maricopa County Superior Court. A judge signed the order several days before Thanksgiving.
Jahrman’s social media activity shows that he has frequently interacted with Occupy Democrats.
In one post by Occupy Democrats comparing President Donald Trump to a dictator in 2020, Jahrman expressed disappointment with the federal government.
“None of this would be happening, the corruption, incompetence, manipulation, or destruction if Trump were not elected. The day he was elected was the day this was all put into action,” said Jahrman. “I hope people have learned what they did and never make this mistake again.”
In a post by OK! Magazine covering Vice President J.D. Vance’s post-COVID-19 vaccine illness in February, Jahrman said Vance couldn’t have been sick because he doesn’t possess a heart.
“Lie, he doesn’t have a heart,” commented Jahrman.
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A Republican state lawmaker is urging the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to follow the new federal guidance on hepatitis B shots for newborns.
State Representative Lisa Fink (R-LD27) published a press release directing ADHS to align its guidance on hepatitis B newborn vaccinations with the newly updated federal recommendation.
The new recommendation by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) suggests only newborns born to women who test positive for hepatitis B should receive the vaccination. Mothers who test negative are advised to consult their doctor otherwise.
“Arizona’s health department should not stand alone defending an outdated one-size-fits-all policy when the federal advisory panel and the President are urging a more cautious, evidence-based approach,” said Fink. “For healthy babies born to hepatitis B-negative mothers, the updated guidance returns the decision to parents and their doctors, who can determine what is best for that child without pressure to accept an automatic birth shot.”
The updated recommendation reflects a return to a risk-based approach for the vaccine.
ACIP favoring an updated recommendation emerged from the cited lack of trial data and serious tracking on adverse events to prove safety and efficacy beyond simple real-world observation. ACIP did discuss the smattering of adverse reactions that resulted from the few, limited trials that did occur back in the late 20th century.
ACIP first recommended hepatitis B vaccines for all newborns in 1991.
Per ACIP research, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has paid out $18 million for hepatitis B vaccine injuries in combination with other vaccines for children.
Joel Terriquez — ADHS medical director of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases Services as well as the Bureau of Immunization Services — told KTAR on Monday that the agency rejects the new federal guidance.
“We would like to make sure that parents understand the importance of this birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine based on the safety, efficacy as well as historic benefits associated with prevention of infection,” said Terriquez. “That will create a window period where we could potentially have transmission of infection without having the ability to protect these babies based on that knowledge of a positive test.”
Terriquez argued that some women may become infected during their pregnancy, and the nine weeks it would take for the disease to show up in a test result would result in a false negative for the mother.
Most Hepatitis B carriers are individuals who engage in sex with multiple partners — mainly males who have sexual intercourse with males — and intravenous drug users. Transmission from mother to child mainly occurs within countries with high rates of hepatitis B. America was not one of these countries prior to 1991 and didn’t become one after 1991. The disease is most common throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Ahead of ACIP’s changes to the recommendation, ADHS issued a press release advocating for the continued practice of universal hepatitis B vaccinations.
Likewise, other health organizations and state health authorities are rejecting ACIP’s new recommendation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics described ACIP’s recommendation as “irresponsible,” and claimed delayed hepatitis B vaccine administration “has no clear benefits” but only makes children vulnerable to the disease.
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