Arizona’s school choice program allows participants to use funds to pay for college, per a reminder from the state’s top elected education official.
Tom Horne, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, promoted this usage of Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program funds in an interview with The Center Square last week.
Horne said this option was more than just a benefit to families. The superintendent made the case that higher education directly correlated to strengthening Arizona’s economy.
“We want kids to go to college,” said Horne. “The percentage of college-educated students in a state has something to do with the success of its economy.”
This is not a new allowance. Arizona law has allowed this use of school choice funds since universalization occurred in 2022 under the former governor, Doug Ducey. Arizona was the first state to open school choice to all students.
Over 102,800 students have enrolled in the ESA program for the 2025-2026 school year, as of last week.
Horne is touting the benefits of the ESA program amid attacks from various special interests.
The Arizona Department of Education (AZED) is under pressure from a major media outlet, 12News, and anti-school choice organizations over misspending rates within the program.
12News reported that 20 percent of ESA expenditures were improper purchases. AZED reported the misspending rate amounted to less than two percent.
12News argued both figures can be true depending on the context, but Horne argued that was not the case. He said the actual amount of fraudulent purchases out of all misspending was 0.3 percent.
“The people who’ve made these criticisms fundamentally did not understand. To start with, [12News] said there was 20 percent fraud,” said Horne in a KTAR interview last month. “The 20 percent figure was the percentage of purchases under $2,000 to see if they were okay or not. But only 20 percent of that 20 percent were improper. That’s four percent. And the other thing to know is, they’re not all fraud. A lot of times it’s innocent mistakes.”
While Horne continues to defend and promote the merits of the ESA program in its present form, both supporters and detractors of the program argue changes need to be made.
Horne’s primary election challenger, Treasurer Kimberly Yee, announced last month that reforms were needed to reduce improper spending, starting with a switch in the reimbursement vendor.
Regardless of the outcome of this election, either Horne or Yee may face new challenges from school choice opponents.
The benefit to pay for higher education through the school choice program, and universalization as a whole, may be limited later this year pending the outcome of a ballot initiative seeking to place an income cap on eligibility.
Under the initiative, only families earning less than $150,000 a year would qualify to enter the ESA program. That income ceiling would be adjusted annually.
Under that income cap, approximately 15 percent of current ESA students would be removed from the program.
The initiative would also further restrict the list of allowable purchases. All tutors, schools, and service providers would be required to fall under State Board of Education oversight, and pay a fee and register annually with AZED to receive ESA funds.
It would also eliminate the current ability for families to rollover funds. All unspent funds would be recouped and returned to the state. That would, effectively, end ESA students’ ability to set aside funds over the years to pay toward college.
The Arizona Education Association and Save Our Schools Arizona are behind the ballot initiative, “Protect Education Act,” filed last month (this version superseded a previous version, the “Protect Education, Accountability Now Act”).
The initiative requires nearly 256,000 signatures to make the ballot.
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The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) grew by two new members last week.
On Monday, Gov. Katie Hobbs appointed Michele Halyard, an oncologist specializing in breast cancer, and Steve Peru, formerly Coconino County’s manager.
“Dr. Michele Halyard is a leader in medical education who will provide expertise to the Board as the universities work to meet the state’s healthcare needs,” said Hobbs in an announcement. “Steve Peru is a longtime public servant with decades of experience who will bring his pragmatic leadership and focus on accountability to the Board. Our public university students deserve the best, and I’m confident Michele and Steve will help ensure the continued excellence of higher education in Arizona.”
Halyard’s past and present accomplishments included in Hobbs’ announcement referenced a fellowship with the American Society for Radiation Oncology, professorship of radiation oncology, vice deanship of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, board membership with the Arizona Community Foundation, and membership with the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee.
One thing not mentioned in Hobbs’ announcement was Halyard’s career-long DEI goals on reforming health care with health equity.
Halyard has spent her 40 years in medicine advocating for affirmative action and health equity in medicine, according to Mayo Clinic profiles on the doctor published in 2023 and 2024.
Halyard expressed her belief in the existence of structural racism in medicine, and its disparate impacts on patient suffering and mortality.
“I didn’t see a lot of people of color at the clinic either working or as patients, and I really thought what a shame that was because of the preeminence of healthcare that we deliver,” said Halyard. “People who, perhaps, feel shut out from the healthcare system, people who experience structural racism that prevents them from getting in for the best care, that really results in excess death, excess suffering among populations of people.”
It was under Halyard that Mayo Clinic initiated “antiracism efforts” by using affirmative action in recruiting.
Halyard’s husband is Phoenix City Councilman Kevin Robinson, a Democrat and former Phoenix Police Department assistant chief.
Peru’s historic dedication to DEI initiatives wasn’t mentioned in Hobbs’ press release, either.
Shortly after joining Coconino County as their manager, Peru took on a years-long effort by the county to recruit an individual for a DEI directorship position.
In the weeks following Trump’s inauguration last year, Peru posted a comment agreeing with another colleague’s LinkedIn post advocating for DEI in K-12 in the wake of the new administration’s policies.
Prior to joining Coconino County, Peru was the chief development and government relations officer at Coconino County Community College and former CEO and president of United Way of Northern Arizona.
Last September Hobbs appointed Jimmy McCain, the youngest son of John McCain, to ABOR. McCain’s appointment stirred controversy, not only for his conflict with Arizona legislative leaders and President Donald Trump, but with his role at a company that was a key sponsor of Hobbs’ inaugural committee.
Hobbs has also appointed Lee Stein, former assistant U.S. attorney and special assistant attorney general within the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
The governor’s two picks for student regents have backgrounds in gun control advocacy. Their contributions to ABOR include expanding time and resources for students’ mental health.
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A bill advancing through the Arizona Legislature would require schools to notify parents and staff within 24 hours of serious threats or incidents involving violence on campus.
House Bill 4109 was approved by the Arizona Senate Rules Committee last week and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. The measure previously passed the Arizona House of Representatives in early March by a 35–17 vote, with seven members abstaining and six Democrats joining Republicans in support.
Sponsored by Rep. Lydia Hernandez (D-LD24), the bill would require schools to notify parents and employees within 24 hours of “life-threatening violence, threats of life-threatening violence, or threats that involve a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.”
Schools would also be required to provide information about the nature of the incident and how administrators responded.
Under the legislation, law enforcement would be required to be notified immediately following serious threats or acts of violence. Schools would also be required to confiscate any deadly weapons and hold them until police arrive.
HB 4109 would further require school districts to submit annual reports detailing campus safety incidents, including lockdowns, shelter-in-place events, evacuations, weapon-related incidents, and referrals to law enforcement. Districts would also be required to provide a summary of their safety policies.
The bill mandates that school districts adopt a formal public safety policy outlining emergency procedures and designating the superintendent as the responsible authority for implementation.
Superintendents and school board members could face misdemeanor charges for failing to comply with the law’s requirements. Superintendents may be charged if they fail to notify parents, contact law enforcement, or follow established procedures after serious threats or violence. School board members could face charges if they fail to adopt a safety policy or retaliate against individuals who report violations.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne told The Center Square that schools in the state face ongoing safety concerns, citing 500 recorded incidents in 2025 involving students bringing firearms onto campus.
“Schools that don’t yet have police are playing Russian roulette with the lives of the students and the teachers and the staff,” he said.
Horne said the number of police officers assigned to schools has increased from 190 in 2023 to 565 and encouraged schools to work with the Arizona Department of Education to expand campus security coverage.
Horne has repeatedly urged school leaders to allow the Arizona Department of Education (AZED) to “provide them with police officers.” He added, “We pay for the police officers. It doesn’t cost them anything.”
Newsrooms: Video of Horne comments is available here: https://t.co/2VQXTI0ccR For immediate release: March 9, 2026 Contact: Communications@azed.gov
Horne says recent gun incident at elementary school shows need for added safety funds Legislature, Governor to consider more… pic.twitter.com/MObTWTELjX
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) March 9, 2026
“We need to do everything we can to protect the safety of our students, teachers [and] staff,” Horne said. He added that reporting requirements would provide transparency about incidents involving weapons or threats on school campuses.
Horne blasts Democrats for voting against school safety bill Legislation would require schools to report life-threatening incidents.
State schools superintendent Tom Horne says Democrats who voted against HB 4109, a bill requiring schools to report life-threatening on-campus…
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) March 26, 2026
In a statement on March 26, Horne was critical of Democrat legislators who voted against the measure, stating, “It is reckless and irresponsible for these legislators to ignore the reality that school campuses are at risk and need every resource at their disposal to protect lives.”
“It is ironic that the bill is sponsored by Democrat Representative Lydia Hernandez,” he added. “She deserves credit for this effort. I am pleased the bill passed out of committee even with the opposition from members of her own party.”
A Northern Arizona University (NAU) fraternity leader faces a felony for the hazing death of a pledge.
The Coconino County Attorney’s Office announced the indictment of Carter Thomas Eslick, 20, last Friday. Eslick was the “new member educator” (or, “pledge master”) for Theta Omega chapter of their fraternity, Delta Tau Delta (DTD), at NAU. Eslick faces a class four felony for hazing, which carries a prison term between one and nearly four years for a first offense.
In January, 18-year-old freshman Colin Daniel Martinez died from alcohol poisoning under the watch of NAU DTD leaders. Martinez was a pledge candidate attending an exclusive “Spring Rush ‘26” party at an off-campus DTD house. “Rush” refers to the recruitment process for sororities and fraternities. Martinez was one of four pledges to attend the party.
Eslick was arrested on suspicion of hazing following Martinez’s death along with two other executive DTD members: vice president Ryan Wiley Creech, 20, and treasurer Riley Michael Cass, 20. Neither Creech or Cass currently face charges.
“The loss of a young person is always a tragedy,” said Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker. “Our hearts are with Colin Martinez’s family, and we will diligently pursue this case toward a just resolution.”
Per court documents, the pledges were ordered to bring warm clothing, pillow cases, and phone chargers to the party. The pledges were transported to the party blindfolded using pillowcases over their heads. In order to complete their initiation, DTD ordered the pledges to drink the entirety of two handles of vodka together: that’s about a gallon of vodka, or around 80 shots.
Records reflect DTD members observed Martinez as unresponsive on an air mattress, but waited hours to contact police.
When police responded the morning after the party, they discovered Martinez had a blood alcohol content of .425 percent: over five times the legal limit. Paramedics arrived after, but Martinez died at the scene. The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office attributed Martinez’s death to alcohol poisoning.
DTD International issued a statement condemning the hazing incident. The organization placed the local chapter on indefinite suspension, then voted to close the chapter.
“Our position on hazing is clear: it is the antithesis of brotherhood and a violation of the values of Delta Tau Delta,” said DTD International.
Arizona lawmakers made it a felony crime to haze under Jack’s Law passed in 2022. In their statement, DTD International voiced support for the law.
State Sen. John Kavanaugh (R-LD3) sponsored Jack’s Law, named after Jack Culolias, a 19-year-old Arizona State University (ASU) freshman who died by drowning following an off-campus party with the ASU chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) in 2012.
ASU expelled SAE following Culolias’ death and another incident several months later involving the abandonment of an intoxicated underaged member, Aidan Mohr, at a hospital. Mohr had nearly five times the legal limit in his system.
In 2019, ASU allowed SAE to recharter following the petitions of SAE-Phoenix Alumni. SAE-Phoenix Alumni’s reintroduction to campus around August 2018 coincided with the opening of the Greek Leadership Village, an on-campus enclave dedicated to housing several dozen of the fraternities and sororities.
It didn’t take long for ASU SAE to be removed again. The chapter was suspended last October over another hazing incident concerning the nonconsensual recording and distribution of video featuring a nude female student in 2023.
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The Arizona Department of Education’s leader admonished one party for rejecting a new mandate on schools to report deadly on-campus incidents.
Democratic lawmakers opposed HB 4109 during a Wednesday vote in the Senate Education Committee, even though one of their own, State Rep. Lydia Hernandez (D-LD24) sponsored the bill. Republicans on the committee voted in favor of it.
HB 4109 would require school boards to adopt a structured safety policy with certain, detailed implementation responsibilities imposed on school district superintendents.
Among those responsibilities of the superintendent included in the bill: written notification to students’ parents and school employees within 24 hours of any incidents or threats involving life-threatening violence or violence involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; immediate notification to a law enforcement officer of observed or notified incidents involving the aforementioned situations concerning violence, and any confiscations of dangerous instruments or deadly weapons; and confiscation, or designation of confiscation to administrators, of any dangerous instrument or deadly weapon possessed by any person on school property.
School districts would also need to publish annual public safety reports detailing the number of lockdowns, shelter-in-place events, and evacuations; incidents involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instruments; incidents referred to law enforcement officers; and a summary of the school district’s adopted public safety policy and its implementation.
The bill would prohibit school districts from taking retaliatory action against employees, parents, students, state agents, or any other individuals for reporting a violation of the public safety policy requirements.
Failure to adhere to the legislation would result in school leaders facing a class one misdemeanor charge.
State Superintendent Tom Horne published a press release the day after the committee hearing accusing the Democrats on the Senate Education Committee of “reckless and irresponsible” behavior: flippant of school safety and willfully ignorant of the present safety problems plaguing school campuses.
“The bill requires notice to parents and staff within 24 hours of a life-threatening incident on campus. That is a perfectly reasonable requirement that schools should be doing anyway,” said Horne. “It is ironic that the bill is sponsored by Democrat Representative Lydia Hernandez. She deserves credit for this effort. I am pleased the bill passed out of committee even with the opposition from members of her own party.”
State Rep. Hernandez explained that the murder of Michael Montoya, 16, in Maryvale High School last August was the motivator behind the bill. Montoya was stabbed to death in a classroom by another student.
“This was a constituent bill brought to me by my neighbors, families that were so traumatized by what happened. But it’s not just limited to this one incident, but a series of incidents that keep taking place,” said Hernandez. “It’s not about politics, it’s about protecting the safety of our kids. You and I would do it, and I hope it never has to be one our children that are the victims.”
State Sen. Eva Diaz (D-LD22) said it concerned her that the bill would criminalize noncompliant school board members and superintendents.
State Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-LD13) countered that it wasn’t unprecedented to hold school officials accountable through criminal penalties in the context of public safety.
“I understand the logic when you’re talking about public safety, at some point there has to be some oomph behind it because we’re talking about fundamental student safety,” said Mesnard.
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A Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) teacher committed suicide while fleeing arrest for the sexual abuse of a minor.
Steven Charles Mitten III, a history teacher at Shadow Mountain High School, fled from police on Wednesday shortly before taking his own life, according to a media advisory issued by the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) on Thursday.
Mitten, 65, previously worked at Cactus Shadows High School within the Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD). CCUSD awarded Mitten their Excellence Award in May 2018, given to one teacher in the school for outstanding contributions to students.
Per PPD, an unnamed adult female reported to law enforcement on Monday that Mitten initiated a sexual relationship with her when she was 16 years old. That relationship purportedly lasted for approximately three years.
The Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) immediately investigated the woman’s claim and found probable cause to arrest Mitten.
The media advisory explained that Mitten fled from the Fugitive Apprehension and Investigations Detail (FAID) in his vehicle with a firearm. After law enforcement used a grappler to stop Mitten’s vehicle, Mitten turned his gun on himself and shot himself in his vehicle.
Detectives and the Special Assignments Unit (SAU) apprehended Mitten, and the Phoenix Fire Department transported him to a hospital. Mitten later succumbed to the self-inflicted gunshot wound.
PPD advised that other details were omitted from public communications given the ongoing nature of the investigation.
“This case reflects the unwavering dedication of our detectives, who work tirelessly on behalf of survivors, especially in cases involving crimes against children,” stated the advisory. “We recognize the lasting impact these incidents have on survivors and their families, and we remain committed to seeking justice while handling these sensitive investigations with care and professionalism.”
The Arizona State Board of Education (AZSBE) does not have any disciplinary records pertaining to Mitten.
Arizona Department of Education records reflect Mitten received a standard professional secondary certification covering history, political science and American government, and social studies for the sixth through twelfth grades in April 2021. Mitten also had a full endorsement for structured English immersion covering preK-12.
Another Arizona teacher was arrested this week for sexual exploitation of a minor. An elementary school teacher and high school coach, Timothy James Sonier, 48, was arrested on Thursday for uploading child sexual abuse materials. Sonier faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Sonier taught at Dodge Traditional Magnet School and coached girls’ junior varsity basketball at Salpointe Catholic High School. Sonier has lived in Tucson for nearly 30 years; he passed a background check by Tucson Unified School District.
Prior to Dodge and Salpointe, Sonier worked at Dietz K-8 School, Catalina High School, and Sabino High School.
The AZSBE latest enforcement action report reflected that enforcement actions increased nearly eightfold from 2014 to 2024. AZSBE attributed this increase to the increased staffing and efficiency of case processing, not an upward trend of immoral or unprofessional misconduct in schools.
Although males comprise only 24 percent of total educators, they represented 61 percent of all enforcement actions.
A majority of enforcement actions since 2012 have come from sexual offense cases (671 out of 1,876 cases, or 36 percent). These cases are not distinguished between offenses against minors versus adults. In 2024, 29 percent were associated with sexual misconduct behaviors.
AZSBE has not published its enforcement action report for 2025 as of this report.
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