The web portal for schools to get their share of $40 million in reading funds is open — at least for the moment.
State law requires schools to annually report to the Arizona Board of Education progress in K-3 reading and plans for improvement. The legally separate Arizona Department of Education has operated the web site for years.
But this year, Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is fighting with the board in court over who controls board staff.
So Michael Bradley, Douglas' chief of staff, told the board last week it should run its own site or contract with his agency for the work.
On Wednesday, though, the department opened the portal. Bradley said that was always the intent, but he said things got complicated because of the litigation.
"If they had ordered us to turn it on, we couldn't turn it on, because then we'd be following their orders. Does that make sense? That's the way the judge thing works," said Bradley. "We planned to turn it on all along. We're not going to hold hostage school districts or anything."
But there is a hitch. Bradley now wants money from the board — at least $50,000 — for pulling the information together. Board of Education President Greg Miller called that request "ridiculous."
"The taxpayers have already paid for all of the computer processes. There's no reason for us to have to go and build a new portal or have an IT department or any of those suggestions. And we don't need an intergovernmental agreement," said Miller.
Bradley said if there is no deal, the portal could be shut down. That would mean that schools would find it difficult, if not impossible, to file their legally required reports.