As the tech industry continues to boom, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects over 317,700 annual job openings in tech and computing fields through 2034, far outpacing other sectors.
Arizona, home to a growing tech scene, ranks 44th out of 50 states for pursuing a tech career, according to research by TryHackMe. The study highlights how tech graduates in Arizona earn 52.5% more than the average graduate but face higher costs and lower overall prospects compared to top-performing states like Alaska, Wyoming, and Utah.
The analysis evaluated states on key factors, including the average annual cost of a tech degree, the number of schools offering tech courses, median earnings for tech graduates four years after graduation, and how those earnings compare to the median for all graduates.
Arizona ranked 44th overall with a score of just 2.65 out of 10, highlighting notable challenges for tech career growth. Despite having 120 institutions that offer tech-related programs, the average annual tuition of $19,310 remains a significant financial barrier for many students.
Four years post-graduation, tech alumni in Arizona earn a median salary of $51,705—52.5% above the state average of $33,894 for all graduates. These earnings still trail behind many other states, where tech graduates see even greater returns on their investments.
The top 5 destinations for tech careers are:
Alaska (Score: 7.31/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $12,982; Schools: 9; Median tech earnings: $76,773 (146.1% more than the state average of $31,197).
Wyoming (Score: 7.02/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $10,537; Schools: 10; Median tech earnings: $60,313 (50.6% more than the state average of $40,050).
Utah (Score: 6.89/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $16,387; Schools: 63; Median tech earnings: $74,702 (152.1% more than the state average of $29,635).
Kentucky (Score: 6.25/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $14,657; Schools: 87; Median tech earnings: $49,798 (58.3% more than the state average of $31,450).
Maryland (Score: 6.14/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $16,875; Schools: 80; Median tech earnings: $66,943 (65.9% more than the state average of $40,342).
The top 5 worst destinations for tech careers are:
Rhode Island (Score: 1.04/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $26,628; Schools: 22; Median tech earnings: $67,325 (52.0% more than the state average of $44,287).
New Hampshire (Score: 2.25/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $20,505; Schools: 33; Median tech earnings: $71,109 (72.0% more than the state average of $41,336).
Maine (Score: 2.28/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $17,755; Schools: 37; Median tech earnings: $58,611 (44.1% more than the state average of $40,682).
Pennsylvania (Score: 2.51/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $20,603; Schools: 331; Median tech earnings: $56,834 (38.5% more than the state average of $41,024).
Minnesota (Score: 2.55/10) – Average annual cost of tuition: $17,238; Schools: 108; Median tech earnings: $66,383 (56.5% more than the state average of $42,414).
“The prospects for tech graduates are among the best in any field, and it’s only set to grow stronger with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that tech is likely to have a bigger job boom than most sectors,” said Ben Spring, Co-founder of TryHackMe. “This study highlights where in the US, tech graduates will see the best prospects compared to their fellow graduates, with states such as Maine and Rhode Island needing to invest more into tech courses and job markets to compete with the likes of Alaska and Wyoming.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Flagstaff and Coconino County officials plan to spend thousands to pay for a new annual gala by Northern Arizona University (NAU) celebrating diversity and Martin Luther King Jr.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors approved the expenditure of nearly $9,000 from its Community Initiative Funds for NAU’s first annual Martin Luther King Jr. Gala during their regular meeting earlier this month.
Coconino County funds will pay $4,000 for rental of the host venue, $1,325 for audio-visual services and related costs, $650 for an IT specialist to manage the audio-visual services, $2,610 for staffing charges for venue set up and tear down, and $124 for room rental tax and associated sales taxes.
The gala plans to prioritize diversity and inclusion throughout its guest list and unique opportunities provided to attendees. It will focus on “promoting Black/African American culture and traditions through educational, historical, and performing arts events.”
In addition to elected and appointed leaders with both the city of Flagstaff and Coconino County, gala attendees will consist of select leaders within Flagstaff and Coconino County’s commercial, industrial, and business sectors, and NAU students, staff, educators, and administrators.
At the gala, the organizers will recognize “local leaders who embody Dr. King’s legacy as a ‘drum major for peace.’”
Flagstaff City Council plans to vote on an expenditure of $1,000 from the present total of $11,200 within the Council Initiative Fund during their regular council meeting next week. That agenda item also left room for further consideration of “any other programs” the council may want to subsidize using the Council Initiative Fund, which maintains $25,000 annually.
The city council established that fund as part of its fiscal year 2020-2021 budget.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Gala will take place on Jan. 17, 2026 at NAU’s High Country Conference Center. NAU’s Center for Inclusive Excellence and Access planned the gala.
A similar event last year hosted by NAU’s Black Student Union, which partly inspired this year’s gala, featured Coral Evans as the keynote speaker: the former Flagstaff Mayor and Senator Mark Kelly’s current Northern Arizona director.
Evans is the sister of the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Access program director, Dr. Rev. Bernadine Lewis.
Lewis told the Arizona Daily Sun that the event is meant to bring communities together across the city and county.
“Our focus is on economic development, workplace development and just community wellbeing,” said Lewis. “That is everything the center stands for and it is also everything that Dr. King stood for, fought for and died for.”
Details of the event have not been available on NAU’s Events page or elsewhere that AZ Free News could discover. The Center for Inclusive Excellence and Access did not respond to our questions about the event as of this report.
NAU is also hosting another, separate event to celebrate MLK Jr.: MLK Day ‘26.
This MLK Jr. celebration marks one of the top expenditures Coconino County made with its Community Initiative Funds, and one of the lowest expenditures Flagstaff made with its Council Initiative Fund from this past year.
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State Representative Selina Bliss (R-LD1) has introduced legislation aimed at improving how schools respond to life-threatening medical emergencies by expanding access to advanced trauma care training for school staff.
House Bill 2076, titled the FASTER Saves Lives Act, would allow public school districts and charter schools to offer specialized emergency medical training to designated employees. The goal is to ensure that trained personnel are available on campus to provide immediate care in critical situations before professional first responders arrive.
Under the proposal, participation would be voluntary for both schools and individual employees. The training authorized by the bill includes hemorrhage control using tourniquets, airway management, stabilization of chest injuries, and coordination with law enforcement and emergency medical services. Training standards would be aligned with established civilian and tactical emergency medical protocols and would require periodic recertification to maintain readiness.
“Uncontrolled bleeding is a leading cause of preventable death after traumatic injury,” Bliss said in announcing the legislation. “HB 2076 gives schools the option to prepare staff to act immediately when an emergency occurs.”
Advocates for the measure note that schools often face inherent delays during emergencies due to large campus sizes, restricted access points, or distance from trauma centers. Studies from both military and civilian trauma settings show that survival rates decline rapidly when hemorrhage control is delayed, yet most school personnel receive only basic first aid instruction that does not address severe traumatic injuries.
“Whether the emergency is an act of violence, a serious athletic injury, or a transportation accident, trained responders on site save lives,” Bliss said. The legislation also addresses cost concerns. Training expenses are expected to be limited and could be covered through existing school safety grants, federal emergency preparedness funds, or private partnerships. The bill does not impose unfunded mandates on participating schools.
HB 2076 is scheduled for committee review, where lawmakers will consider its potential impact on school safety, liability protections, and implementation. If approved, the measure would give Arizona schools an additional, optional tool to improve emergency response and potentially save lives during critical incidents.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona voters could be asked to decide how school athletic teams are classified and how privacy is handled in sports facilities under a ballot referral introduced at the State Capitol. The proposal, HCR2003, was introduced by Selina Bliss and would place the issue on the November 2026 general election ballot. The resolution would require school sports teams and competitions to be designated as male, female, or co-ed, while adding new privacy protections in locker rooms and showers.
“Sports designations must be clear and grounded in basic fairness,” Bliss said in announcing the measure. “My referral requires teams and competitions in Arizona schools and sports associations to be designated as male, female, or co-ed. This lets every student compete safely and on fair terms.”
The referral seeks to restore and strengthen elements of Arizona’s 2022 Save Women’s Sports Act, portions of which were blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Under the proposal, placement on male or female teams would be determined by the sex listed on an athlete’s original birth certificate, a standard Bliss said would provide consistency for schools and families navigating evolving legal rules.
Supporters of the measure argue that litigation has created uncertainty in states like Arizona, leaving districts without clear direction. Bliss said voters should have the opportunity to weigh in directly rather than relying on ongoing court decisions. “Voters should decide this issue and give young women the opportunities they deserve,” she said. “Passing this referral will protect female athletes and give families confidence that the rules will not shift again in court.”
Bliss also cited her personal background in athletics as informing her perspective on the issue. “As someone who competed in athletics and as a mother who watched her daughter compete, I understand the value of a fair field of play,” she said. “Sports help young people build confidence, discipline, and healthy habits.”
Similar proposals are advancing in other states, including Colorado, Maine, Washington, and Nevada. If approved by the Legislature, HCR2003 would allow Arizona voters to make the final decision at the ballot box.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
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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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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