by Matthew Holloway | Aug 1, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne followed the U.S. Department of Education’s release of its pause on grant funding with a public commitment to disburse the funding as soon as possible.
The Arizona Department of Education announced that $124 million, or approximately one percent of the state’s overall education funding, was under review by the federal government.
The funding was due to be released in early July, but the approximate $6 billion in nationwide funding, including the $124 million allocated for Arizona, was placed under review by the agency on July 1st.
“The department will not be issuing grant award notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review,” a memo from the Department’s Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs said at the time. “The department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president’s priorities and the department’s statutory responsibilities.”
In an interview with the outlet, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon assured the public, “We want to make sure that we have the right focus on what we’re trying to do with our students.”
Superintendent Horne said in a statement, “The release of federal funds that were being reviewed by the Trump administration is good news and no surprise to me. When the review was announced I noted that the federal government is merely ensuring that the funds are being used appropriately and not for ideological purposes. People need to be assured that their education tax dollars are being used to advance academic goals and not social indoctrination.”
He added, “When the pause occurred, a lot of people panicked thinking the money would go away entirely. I said at the time that this was merely a pause for review and that is exactly what happened. The Arizona Department of Education staff will work very hard to disburse these funds as soon as possible.”
Horne shared a video clip on Friday from President Trump, coinciding with the release in which the President said, “We are moving education back to the states….when they do it, you are going to have the BEST education in the world.”
In a previous statement, Horne observed, “They’ve (federal government) seen instances of far-left ideology being taught to students. And I would agree that that should not be. People obviously have a right to be far left if they want, but they don’t have a right to impose it on students in the classroom. So, if there’s any of that in Arizona, I would cooperate enthusiastically with the federal government to get rid of it.”
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 | Jul 31, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
In the aftermath of the controversial whistleblower audio released in May, the Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) has responded by banning students from recording “a classroom teacher or administrator” without permission, according to Save CFSD.
The audio released in May included an alleged teacher criticizing the religious texts of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism on LGBTQ issues in a 9th grade health classroom.
In addition to the new prohibitions, Dan Grossenbach, a CFSD parent, resident, and contributor to Save CFSD, shared an email with AZ Free News from the district indicating that the teacher involved has faced zero disciplinary action.
In his email, Grossenbach explained, “In public statements, CFSD administration implied to State48 and the AZ Daily Star editorial page that they fired the teacher, but the district has confirmed to me by email that there was no discipline.”
According to Grossenbach, the board launched its efforts to prevent students from creating any further classroom recordings in an unscheduled meeting on Tuesday.
“They held an unplanned/emergency meeting on Tuesday to pass a policy they claimed was based on a new law banning cell phones,” Grossenbach said. “However, they added a line about banning classroom recordings, electronic recorders, or posting any audio publicly. They added that teachers have the right to search and seize all personal items and threatened student expulsion.”
Grossenbach further said that the district has not made its sex-education curriculum publicly available as required under Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-711.
Save CFSD shared a lengthy thread to X, outlining the new policies enacted by the district.
According to screenshots provided by the group, the district made two major changes to its existing policies:
1. Restricting student access to social media platforms except as allowed by the student’s teacher for educational purposes; and
2. Limiting the use of wireless communication devices by students during the school day, exceptions include allowing student use of wireless communication devices for medical needs, educational purposes as directed by the student’s teacher, or during an emergency.
However, included in these policies are a few key points. The use of a “PD” or personal electronic device, including, but not limited to “cellular telephones, digital audio players, digital cameras, laptop computers, tablet computers, pagers, portable game players, smartwatches, smart glasses, and any new technology developed with similar capabilities,” now falls under the district’s policy for “Electronic Information Services” and under those terms:
“Each user of the District’s EIS, including a user of a PD shall:
- Obtain permission to record, transmit, or post photos or a video of a person with any electronic device.
- Obtain permission from a classroom teacher or administrator before making publicly available any images, video, or audio files recorded at school.”
Essentially, the new policy presents a de facto ban on any student recording a teacher or administrator without their permission, rendering future whistleblowing impossible without risking potential expulsion. Finally, the policy empowers school officials to “search and/or seize student property, if there are reasonable grounds that the search and seizure will reveal evidence that the student has violated or is violating the law or a District Policy procedure or school rule.”
The policy also states explicitly: “This authority extends to student-owned electronic/technology devices and electronic storage.”
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 Ethan Faverino | Jul 27, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona State University (ASU) has lost 27 grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) so far this year, worth approximately $28.5 million. Many of the grants were tied to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
These cuts, part of a broader shift in NSF priorities under the Trump administration, target projects with DEI-related terms like, “equitable,” “underrepresented,” and “racial.”
Among the affected grants were five ASU projects, previously assigned $7,659,588, which heavily emphasize DEI.
Grant Number 2315041 ($2,404,767) funded Collaborative Research: Black Girls as Creators: an intersectional learning ecosystem toward gendered racial equity in Artificial Intelligence education. Running from October 2023 to September 2028 (terminated April 18, 2025), it supported after-school and summer camps for black girls aged 9-14 to collaborate with AI creators, focusing on intersectionality and racial equity.
Grant Number 2411987 ($733,633) funded Positioning Engineering Faculty to Support Black Engineering Graduate Students through Awareness, Knowledge, Capacity Building, and Community. Starting September 2024 and ending August 2029 (terminated April 25, 2025), it trained faculty at ASU and George Mason University in antiracist orientations using virtual reality simulations to address systemic barriers for black graduate students, prioritizing competency over technical skills.
Grant Number 1824260 ($2,999,743) funded an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation project from September 2018 to August 2025 (terminated May 2, 2025), aimed to reshape faculty policies for gender equity and intersectionality, potentially undermining merit-based standards.
Grant Number 2101039 ($931,058) funded Collaborative Research: Accessible Computational Thinking in Elementary Science Classes within and across Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts, ran from August 2021 to July 2025 (terminated April 25, 2025). It trained 60 elementary school teachers in “Culturally Relevant Teaching” for diverse students, which compromised core STEM content.
Grant Number 2236374 ($590,387) funded Increasing the Effectiveness of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion-Focused Institutional Change Teams through a Community of Transformation, ran from April 2023 to April 2025 (terminated April 18, 2025). It supported a “Community of Transformation” for JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) change agents, emphasizing change over academic standards.
These cancellations align with NSF’s new priorities to avoid projects that prioritize certain groups, as appromixately 94% of canceled grants nationwide included DEI-related terms.
These DEI-focused projects diverted resources from universal STEM advancement, prioritizing ideological goals over merit.
The full list of terminated NSF grants is avaiable here.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 26, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Tolleson Union High School District Superintendent Jeremy Calles found himself the subject of intense grilling at the hands of Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) Co-Chairmen Matt Gress and Mark Finchem during a three-hour hearing this week. Following the exchange, Gress told reporters that he and Finchem “will be reviewing our options with the Auditor General.”
The fiery hearing came about in response to concerns over a Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) leaseback deal with the Isaac Elementary School District that would see TUHSD purchase Isaac Middle School for $25 million with the elementary district then leasing the building at an interest rate of 6%.
Calles revealed in the hearing that he holds two professional roles, one as a consultant and the second as Superintendent, and he confirmed to the committee that initial conversations on the deal began in his role as a consultant.
He told the JLAC, “The first conversation I had came from a text message from, yes, the prior superintendent, Mr. Mario Ventura, who texted me and asked if I could take a look at his finances.”
Calles explained that when his district became involved, his role in the deal changed, although he claimed to have never billed for the conversation and never contracted with Isaac Elementary School District as a consultation client.
“This is not a new concept; the only thing novel on this idea is that both sides of the transaction, you have a school district. Everything else about this transaction, both sides of the transaction are not unseen,” he told lawmakers.
The Superintendent said that the agreement between the districts lacked a prepayment penalty, had no lock-in requirement, and aided the district in a financial crisis. He suggested that the benefit for TUHSD students was in generating up to $7 million in funding for the district. However, committee members balked at this suggestion, noting that although the district holds a “B” letter grade from the Arizona State Board of Education, only 30% of its students are proficient in Mathematics, English, and Language Arts.
Gress challenged him, “Here, you have not been able to demonstrate the $25 million financial transaction benefiting Tolleson Union students directly, given that you have no square footage, you’re not providing any learning services. It’s not even in your district so this is far beyond novel. I think you’ve made a mockery of our state law.”
He added, “I think you should be ashamed of yourself for the way you’ve mistreated taxpayers of Tolleson Union.”
The Superintendent was later asked by Rep. Carbone, “Why doesn’t every school district now just follow your lead and start making money and become a bank?”
In a reponse that appeared to show defiance, he said, “I don’t think every school district has a superintendent willing to stand in front of you like this.”
As reported by State 48 News, Calles confirmed that he utilizes his district office to conduct personal business during working hours. The outlet noted that under questioning it was further revealed that two members of the school district are also employed by the Superintendent through his consultancy.
When pressed to answer questions from Tolleson City Manager Reyes Medrano Jr., along with Police Chief Rudy Mendoza and former Superintendent Kino Flores regarding his conduct, including an alleged request for Tolleson to pay Calles’ real estate broker an $85,000 fee related to the district’s purchase of city land, Medrano suggested this violated state procurement laws.
“The 85 was going to be on top of the purchase price, and then we were supposed to pay the broker with it,” he told the committee. According to Medrano, Calles told him “it would be cleaner” to do so.
Calles lashed out in response, claiming the allegation “borderlines defamation.” He said in full: “I believe that borderlines defamation, the way he made that implication as if something nefarious was happening.”
Speaking with a reporter, Calles rejected the allegations saying that “they’re all lies. Do you see our improvement on the letter grade system? You see that our schools are moving up on their performance?”
The Superintendent told 12News that he expected the committee to request review of his conduct by the Arizona Auditor General and said, “When the Auditor General’s Office finally sends me someone, I’ll give them the full story.”
In a statement following the hearing, Gress said, “The hearing today revealed deeply troubling information that shows a pattern of disregard for public transparency. Combining public service with private consulting work, including using Tolleson District facilities and employees to support superintendent Calles’s consulting company reeks of corruption. Chairman Finchem and I will be reviewing our options with the auditor general.”
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 Ethan Faverino | Jul 21, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, announced the release of previously paused federal funds for after-school programs under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program.
Superintendent Horne expressed his satisfaction with the federal government’s decision, stating, “The after-school grants are valuable because they offer students a chance to get additional help with reading, math, completing homework assignments and other tasks that help them academically. This is welcome news for these programs that would have been affected by the loss of federal dollars. Once we have formal notification from the federal government and allocations to schools are calculated, we will work very hard to pass these funds through to the recipients.”
The released funds, totaling around $24 million for the current fiscal year, will boost after-school programs across the state.
Horne also addressed ongoing federal reviews of additional funds, reassuring schools and families that he expects further releases soon.
Horne added, “When this review was announced, I urged schools to be calm while the federal government studied these funds to ensure they are being used appropriately. I anticipate other funds still being reviewed will be released in the near future.”
Addressing concerns about potential funding disruptions, Horne clarified that no final decision has been made regarding a freeze on other federal grants under review.
He noted that the funds in question represent less than 1% of most school budgets, and many schools have unspent funds available through September 2026. Schools also have the flexibility to reallocate resources, if there is a freeze, to prioritize essential programs.
Horne also emphasized his commitment to maintaining an ideologically neutral classroom environment stating, “They’ve (federal government) seen instances of far-left ideology being taught to students. And I would agree that that should not be. People obviously have a right to be far left if they want, but they don’t have a right to impose it on students in the classroom. So, if there’s any of that in Arizona, I would cooperate enthusiastically with the federal government to get rid of it.”
Superintendent Horne, along with the Arizona Department of Education remains in close communication with schools to provide updates and guidance.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jul 7, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
A record number of Arizona high school students have earned the prestigious Seal of Arts Proficiency for the 2024-25 school year. 2,366 students have received this honor, some earning more than one, indicating proficiency in more than one arts discipline.
There was a total of 2,400 awards, marking the highest number of recipients since the program launched in 2019. These students were recognized across multiple disciplines of Visual Arts, Theatre, Music, Media Arts, and Dance.
“I am a passionate supporter of the arts. Not only do disciplines such as music, theatre, art, and dance have intrinsic value, but studies have proven that students who pursue the arts often do better academically,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. “There is tremendous value in arts education, and I am extremely pleased to see the highest number of students in the history of this program receiving the Seal of Arts Proficiency. I also offer my congratulations to the Dysart district and its leadership for having the most students receiving this recognition.”
Out of the 2,400 seals and 2,366 participating students, the Dysart Unified School District was awarded 261 seals with 249 participating students.
The program was launched in the 2019-20 school year with hopes of recognizing students who demonstrate exceptional skills in the arts disciplines. Within the past 5 years, it has quickly grown from 585 participating students to 2,366. The total awards have also increased from 591 to 2,400, showing the state’s proficiency in high school arts. School involvement and support have also grown, with 58 schools participating in 2019 compared to 146 schools this year.
The Arizona Seal of Arts Proficiency honors students who demonstrate exceptional achievement in the arts, while also equipping them with essential life skills and preparing them for college. With nearly 80,000 jobs in Arizona’s arts and culture sector, the seal offers students a meaningful pathway into creative industries, allowing them to succeed both personally and professionally.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
