News

PHOENIX – Contrary to an assertion made today by Attorney General Kris Mayes, State schools chief Tom Horne says the Department of Education alerted the Attorney General’s office to potentially fraudulent activity on the part of two of the three former Arizona Department of Education employees named in indictments handed up by the state grand jury.

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has released figures showing that more than 900 Arizona schools have declined to answer five academic focus questions related to matters such as ensuring schools do not inappropriately expose students to explicit content and avoiding instruction that promotes racial division such as Critical Race Theory.

PHOENIX – All 307 School Resource Officers in Arizona have received an appreciative letter from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne in honor of today’s National School Resource Officers Appreciation Day.

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne and Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D., are announcing a partnership between the Arizona Department of Education and the non-profit HealthCorps initiative founded by Dr. Oz more than 20 years ago.

PHOENIX – The majority of a $10 million state grant that provides schools money to buy arts supplies has been put on hold by the Governor’s office, threatening payments to teachers and vendors. The funds are used to buy items such as paints, brushes, sheet music, dance props, theatrical costumes, and pay for repairs.

PHOENIX – On the same day that state legislators have introduced legislation - prepared at the department and submitted at Superintendent Tom Horne’s request - to strengthen the Arizona law that requires Holocaust education in public schools, Horne is announcing an extension of the deadline to February 23 for schools to report their compliance with the current law.

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has released a report for all state education funding, including the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program, that shows a projected total surplus of more than $28 million through the remainder of the 2024 state Fiscal Year that ends June 30.

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is applauding this week’s unanimous action by the State Board of Education to uphold the Department of Education’s rejection of questionable Empowerment Scholarship Account expense requests.

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has joined forces with Arizona Representative Matt Gress in pursuing legislation that would allow the implementation of recommendations made by the 2023 ADE School Safety Task Force.

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has issued his reaction to today’s Maricopa County Superior Court hearing on English Language Learner instruction.