Education - AZ FREE NEWS

Phoenix-Area School District Placed Into Receivership Over $12 Million Budget Shortfall

Jan 20, 2025

By Staff Reporter | The Arizona State Board of Education (AZSBE) placed a Phoenix-area school district into receivership over mismanagement of funds. Isaac Elementary School District (IESD) had a budget shortfall amounting to over $12.3 million, which included over...

Arizona Schools Get Over 4K More Overdose Kits

Jan 20, 2025

By Staff Reporter | Arizona schools received over 4,000 overdose kits this past week, contributing to the thousands they have and will continue to receive. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) supplied the Narcan kits through its School Training Overdose...

Hobbs Targets ESA Program In State Of The State Address

Jan 17, 2025

By Daniel Stefanski | As another legislative session begins in Arizona, Republicans and Democrats are again bringing the all-important issue of school choice to the forefront of the public debate. On Monday, Governor Katie Hobbs ushered in the start of the 57th...

Peoria School Board Elects Conservative Mom For President

Jan 12, 2025

By Staff Reporter | The newly elected Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) board president is a conservative mother, declining to re-elect the sitting president. PUSD elected its new president, Heather Rooks, during Thursday’s regular board meeting following...

Tucson Teacher Arrested For Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor

Jan 10, 2025

By Staff Reporter | James Badger, 45, a Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) teacher was arrested for sexual exploitation of children. Badger taught at Tucson High Magnet School (THMS). He was arrested on Tuesday by the Tucson Police Department and charged with...

Study Finds Significantly More Democrat Professors At ASU Than Republicans

Jan 2, 2025

By Staff Reporter | A review of Arizona State University (ASU) professors’ voter registration data found that there were 15 times more Democratic professors than Republican ones. According to an analysis of voters by The College Fix, nearly 300 professors out of...

Horne Responds To Letter From Hobbs Blasting ESA ‘Risk-Based Auditing’

Dec 26, 2024

By Matthew Holloway | Earlier this month, Gov. Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, rebuking him for the implementation of a risk-based auditing approach to approving Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program reimbursements....

Group Counters Hobbs’ False Claims About ESAs

Dec 17, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski | Amid an increased flurry of attacks on Arizona’s school choice opportunities, a prominent organization is countering with the facts. Citizens For Free Enterprise responded to another derogatory statement about Arizona’s historic Empowerment...

Sen. Petersen Defends ESAs Against Anti-School Choice Activists

Dec 12, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski | An influential Arizona Republican lawmaker is combating arguments from an anti-school choice organization. This week, Senate President Warren Petersen responded to a post from Save Our Schools AZ, which highlighted a local media report about...

Maricopa Judge Dismisses Dual Language Challenge For Lack Of Standing

Dec 11, 2024

By Staff Reporter | The Maricopa Superior Court dismissed a challenge to a school district’s dual language program, citing lack of standing. The plaintiff, Patricia Pellett, is a Scottsdale Unified School District parent, and not part of the district she challenged,...

Arizona Receives $34.8 Million Grant For Building New Charter Schools, Improving Existing Ones

Dec 11, 2024

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona’s charter schools are about to receive a fresh infusion of taxpayer dollars in a federal grant from the United States Department of Education. The grant is expected to fund the establishment of two dozen new charter schools and bolster...

No Arizona Schools Tested Their Emergency Plans Or Met State Minimum Standards

Dec 10, 2024

By Staff Reporter | None of Arizona’s schools have fully implemented and tested their emergency plans, nor did they fully meet the state’s minimum standards. The Arizona Auditor General published a new report on Monday finding that no schools throughout the...