Stories tagged: "school funding"


Photo via Arizona Capitol Television
Many Questions Left Unanswered at First Hearing Of Arizona’s School Voucher Oversight Committee

The committee won’t meet again until November, and only has until Dec. 31 to publish its findings on whether the voucher program is running as intended as it expands.

Speaker of the House Ben Toma speaking on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives at the Arizona State Capitol building. Toma is also the chair of the Study Committee on Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
Governance and Oversight. Photo by Gage Skidmore.
After a Rocky Start, Arizona’s School Voucher Oversight Committee Meets This Week

The committee was established in May, but vacant seats and rescheduled meetings have delayed its first hearing. It has until Dec. 31 to release a report on the state's voucher program.

Arizona school districts are starting the year wirh virtual classes, but have been ordered to have in-school teaching available by Aug. 17 for those families who want or need and that has left school administrators scrambling to come up with plans that educate while protecting student and teacher health. (Photo by SOMANEDU/Creative Commons)
Universal School Voucher Program Added Almost 50,000 Students Since Expansion

At current rates of growth, the program is expected to cost about $900 million—more than half of K-12 spending—but only serves 8% of all students in the state.

New Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, a Republican, waves to the crowd after speaking and taking the ceremonial oath of office in a public ceremony at the state Capitol in Phoenix, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Top Arizona Education Official Wants to Segregate Non-English Speaking Students in Schools

Horne wants English learners to be completely segregated for one year while they only learn in English and achieve English proficiency. In the past, this approach has resulted in many students being held back for a year or more.

Volunteers rake mulch on the new playground at Loma Linda School in Phoenix on Feb. 23, 2023. (Photo by Evelyn Nielsen/Cronkite News)
Nonprofit Builds New Playground for Phoenix School to Combat Inequities

Loma Linda School in the Creighton School District is the latest to benefit from Kaboom’s mission of giving kids access to quality playgrounds.

(Shutterstock Photo)
Arizona to Invest Nearly $7 Million to Provide Over 2 Million Free Meals for Students

Before leaving office, former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced a $6.75 million investment allowing more students to eat free lunches. 

Buses line up outside Tempe High School in this 2021 file photo. Bus driver is just one of the positions that school administrators around the state say they have trouble filling, along with teachers, nurses, custodians, secretaries and more, as school salaries often can't compete with the private sector. (File photo by Kelly Richmond/Cronkite News)
Arizona Schools Struggle to Fill a Range of Jobs, in Classroom and Beyond

School staffers across Arizona may increasingly find themselves pressed to fill in on other jobs, as school districts struggle to fill positions across the board.