by Ethan Faverino | Sep 22, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is urging the Phoenix Union High School District to reverse its decision to reject armed officers on campus following a violent knife fight between two female students at Carl Hayden High School.
The altercation, reported by the Phoenix Police Department, occurred just after 9 a.m last Monday. Officers responded to reports of a physical fight during which one student struck another with the handle of a closed-blade pocketknife.
The student with the pocketknife was referred to the Juvenile Court Center and faces one count of aggravated assault. The injured student received treatment for minor injuries, and the incident remains under investigation. Horne emphasized the critical need for armed officers, stating, “The safety of students, teachers, and staff members at schools is not negotiable, and a knife fight on the Carl Hayden campus Monday shows the dangers are increasing. This needs to stop immediately. The Phoenix Union governing board needs to reverse a terrible decision they made earlier this year when they rejected requests from the leadership of both Carl Hayden and Betty Fairfax high schools for armed officers on campus.”
“Yesterday, Phoenix Police reported that two female Carl Hayden students were in a knife fight that resulted in injuries,” Horne added. “This proves the need for armed officers and demonstrates the utter lack of concern by the members of the Phoenix Union government board who rejected the request for officers that had been endorsed by the two schools and district administration. It was an outrageous dereliction of responsibility, and the board needs to reconsider this matter immediately.”
The incident at Carl Hayden High School is part of a broader pattern of safety concerns within the Phoenix Union High School District. Earlier this year, a tragic stabbing at Maryvale High School resulted in the death of a 16-year-old student, prompting scrutiny of campus security protocols.
Phoenix Union Governing Board member Jeremiah Cota requested reconsideration of the board’s earlier vote back in August 2025, but again, the Phoenix Union board voted to deny state-funded officers. Cota tweeted, “There will be NO school resource officers agenda item at the Phoenix Union next board meeting. The Board President has refused my calls for improving school safety once again. Shameful for this district to put anti-law enforcement politics before student and staff safety.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 8, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
With the tragic murder of a Maryvale High School student and the brutal attack against the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, MN, still fresh in public memory, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne submitted a legislative budget request for $180 million to continue and expand state funding to put more armed officers on campuses throughout Arizona.
Existing funding for school safety, by initial appropriation and carryover, totals $128 million. Federal funding also provides an additional $20 million. According to the Arizona Department of Education, both are scheduled to expire in 2026. To address this, Horne has reportedly submitted the request for $180 million, which, if approved, “would ensure the current level of funding will continue and the added $32 million will allow for expanding the program for more officers and training.”
In a statement released Thursday, Horne said, “Over the past several weeks, our nation has witnessed terrible school tragedies. This problem is not going away, and we need to address it aggressively. Therefore, I am now making a budget request of the legislature to appropriate at least $180 million to make sure we have no gap in providing funding for armed officers on campuses. This request adds dollars to hire and train officers for more schools statewide to protect students, educators, and classified staff.”
Horne referred back to the successful intervention of a heroic Tucson Police Officer William Bonanno, who thwarted an attempted attack on Legacy Traditional School-East Tucson in January.
“The value of having armed officers on campuses is beyond dispute. One of the best examples occurred earlier this year when a heroic Tucson police officer arrested an armed intruder on a school campus during class hours.
“This criminal was armed with a gun and a knife and told the officer he was there to kill children and make them famous. The officer was on that campus because of funding through the department’s School Safety Program. In fact, he had been hired less than a month earlier using supplemental dollars my department made available. This program works and deserves more funding so it can be expanded. Every parent should want an officer on their child’s campus.”
Maricopa County Schools Superintendent Shelli Boggs issued a concurring statement saying, “I will continue to advocate for school safety programs. This is about ensuring that every student, in every school, in every neighborhood, has the peace of mind that comes from knowing they are safe.”
Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan offered his support as well, stating, “As Sheriff of Maricopa County, I strongly support Superintendent Horne’s efforts to fully fund our school safety program to ensure all schools have these resources to protect our kids. There is no greater responsibility for society than to do everything possible to keep children safe, especially in a place of learning and growing. To that end, we currently have dozens of MCSO deputies participating in this program, and additional funding will allow us to expand our services.”
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 | Aug 31, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne criticized the lenient sentencing of Daniel Hollander. Hollander was arrested in January 2025 after breaking into Legacy Traditional School–East Tucson with a gun and knife, threatening to kill children and “make them famous.”
Hollander faced charges of attempted terrorism, interfering with an educational institution, weapons misconduct on school grounds, and burglary. He was sentenced to only 18 months in prison followed by probation, a punishment Horne deems inadequate to protect Arizona’s students.
Hollander’s arrest was made possible by the swift and courageous actions of Tucson police officer William Bonanno, a school safety officer funded through the Arizona Department of Education’s school safety program.
“We avoided that tragedy by the skin of our teeth,” said Superintendent Horne. “Tucson Police Officer William Bonanno was the safety officer on campus. He was hired just two weeks before the incident. He is experienced and brave, and after being alerted to a problem on campus, he checked an open door and found the would-be perpetrator with a gun and a knife. Because of his experience and courage, he did not wait for backup but immediately arrested the individual.”
In a statement following the sentencing in Pima County Superior Court, Horne expressed outrage at the prosecutor’s recommendation of just one year in prison and 10 years’ probation.
“As a former Attorney General, I know that the public is entitled to be protected from people like this defendant,” Horne stated. “The judge increased it to 18 months, but could not do more in view of the prosecutor’s recommendation. Probation is not perfect. If this individual has a bad day, he could go into a school and kill students. In my opinion, the prosecutor’s recommendation should have been at least 20 years in prison to protect our children.”
Horne emphasized his administration’s commitment to school safety, noting that the number of police officers in Arizona schools has risen from 190 to 585 over the past two years.
Just before the incident, the Arizona Department of Education identified unused funds and reopened grant opportunities, enabling the hiring of Officer Bonanno.
“I urge the schools to consider that a maniac could invade a school and kill 20 students, as has happened in other states, and could happen here. This is my worst nightmare,” said Horne.
Horne’s administration remains dedicated to strengthening school safety measures to protect Arizona’s students from threats like these.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | May 10, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona schools will be protected by more armed school campus officers, newly developed safety technology, and advanced training through a new bipartisan bill, just signed into law. The bill, HB 2074, was signed into law by Governor Katie Hobbs on Tuesday.
Sponsored by State Representative Matt Gress (R-LD4), the new law makes a massive expansion to the existing, already successful, School Safety Program and allows retired law enforcement officers to serve their communities again as school officers.
Speaking in support of the new law, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said, “I am very pleased that this bill has become law. There is a need for more armed officers in schools and expanding the pool of available law enforcement professionals to include those who have retired in good standing is a commonsense idea that will put more officers in schools, making campuses safer. The added training and technology will increase the value of this successful program that makes our students, educators and staff safer on campus.”
“Schools must be places where all students, teachers, and staff feel safe,” said Gress in a press release. “I’m proud that this bill has been signed—crafted through collaboration with educators, certified mental health professionals, law enforcement, legislators, and Superintendent Tom Horne—into law. This marks a major step forward in implementing meaningful, commonsense school safety enhancements.”
According to a statement from the Arizona Department of Education, the new law contains provisions for Arizona schools to install new safety equipment and infrastructure. School districts and charter schools will also have access to training for safety officers on interacting with special needs students in addition to civil rights, student privacy laws, and adolescent mental issues. Each of the districts and charters must also prepare and submit a campus emergency response plan.
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 Daniel Stefanski | Jan 30, 2025 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A long-time Arizona legislator is calling on his state to add more protections to schools in response to a near-tragedy earlier this month.
Late last week, State Senator David Farnsworth issued a statement following a school safety incident in southern Arizona, where an off-duty officer in Tucson, who was serving as a school resource officer, detained an armed man who had been threatening children in the gymnasium at Legacy Traditional School East. The Republican-led Arizona Legislature has increasingly prioritized school safety efforts around the state to ensure that students, teachers, and other employees are protected from potential harms.
In recent years, the Arizona Legislature created the School Safety Program within the State Department of Education, which “support[s], promote[s], and enhance[s] safe and effective learning environments for all students by supporting the cost of placing school resource officers, juvenile probation officers, school counselors, and school social workers on school campuses.” According to information provided by the department, this program “is a competitive, state-funded grant that runs in three-year cycles.”
Senator Farnsworth said, “I applaud the Tucson School District for obtaining the grant and working in conjunction with local law enforcement to hire the off-duty Tucson Police Officer that saved the lives of the children and faculty present that day. We cannot continue to leave classrooms open with easy access for predators. We must come together as a community and encourage school districts to apply for the grant and put measures into place that protect the safety of students and school faculty. I am committed to working with stakeholders, school boards, and the Legislature to prioritize school safety legislation that safeguards Arizona schools from threats.”
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, added, “Only the heroic actions of the school resource officer, William Bonanno, prevented a catastrophe. He undoubtedly saved lives because of his incredible professionalism in that he was experienced enough to act quickly rather than wait for backup. The presence of an armed officer has sadly become a crucial element of campus safety, and this incident proves that beyond a doubt. The heroism of this officer means that more than 20 families have not experienced the tragic death or injury to an innocent child. As a parent who has suffered the loss of a child, I can tell you that you never get over it.”
Lawmakers will continue to work on solutions to increase security for the state’s schools in this current legislative session – especially with the potential near-miss in southern Arizona.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
