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Arizona lawmakers are trying to keep Phoenix Isaac School District open

Arizona Education Association president and Isaac teacher Marisol Garcia speaks with students, parents and other faculty at a Keep Isaac Schools Open rally at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
Camryn Sanchez/KJZZ
Arizona Education Association president and Isaac teacher Marisol Garcia speaks with students, parents and other faculty at a Keep Isaac Schools Open rally at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

The Isaac School District in Phoenix is at risk of closing its doors this week unless lawmakers take emergency action.

Earlier this month, the state Board of Education put the district under receivership because it faces a budget shortfall of several million dollars.

Arizona Education Association president and Isaac teacher Marisol Garcia gathered with students, parents and other faculty at the state Capitol on Monday.

“No one behind me knows if they are getting paid tomorrow. Not one of them. Nobody behind here that has children in our schools knows if there is school on Wednesday,” Garcia said.

The school district serves 5,000 students and needs an infusion of funds, but the county treasurer said the outstanding debt must be paid first, before the school’s normal funding can be restored.

Students, parents and faculty gather at a Keep Isaac Schools Open rally at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
Camryn Sanchez/KJZZ
Students, parents and faculty gather at a Keep Isaac Schools Open rally at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

Maricopa County Treasurer John Allen said that since the district is $28.5 million in debt, he can’t pay their bills, and money the county gets needs to go toward paying down that debt before it can go to teacher salaries.

Garcia said she understands the issue of the $28.5 million needs to be solved, but said that getting the district enough money to keep schools open is the priority.

“We’re trying to hold people accountable for a fire while the fire is still burning,” she said.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said not restoring funding to the district would be a disaster.

“Probably the whole district would collapse and 5,000 students would not get the education to which they are entitled,” he said in Monday’s state Board of Education meeting.

Lawmakers are scrambling to find a solution that requires the county to keep the schools open, while also holding officials accountable for the financial mess.

“While the accountability and fiscal restructuring process will play out through financial receivership, we must continue to keep the students and staff at the forefront and minimize educational disruption,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a statement.

“While the accountability and fiscal restructuring process will play out through financial receivership, we must continue to keep the students and staff at the forefront and minimize educational disruption."
Gov. Kate Hobbs

The district superintendent, Mario Venture, announced two weeks ago that he would resign because of this crisis.

Rep. Matt Gress (R-Phoenix) introduced a bill that the House education committee is scheduled to consider on Tuesday, which would fire county superintendents or school board members if they cause a school district to go into receivership.

The bill would also instruct the county treasurer to give a school district $2.5 million approved by the receiver, even if the district is in debt.

That much money won’t last the district very long, but would be a solution for about two weeks while lawmakers craft a longer-term fix, Gress explained in a text.

The district also reverted about $9 million of COVID-19 relief funds to the federal government, which has agreed to give $6 million back — but that money won’t be available straightaway.

Arizona Education Association president and Isaac teacher Marisol Garcia speaks with students, parents and other faculty at a Keep Isaac Schools Open rally at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
Camryn Sanchez/KJZZ
Arizona Education Association president and Isaac teacher Marisol Garcia speaks with students, parents and other faculty at a Keep Isaac Schools Open rally at the Arizona Capitol on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

The district falsified financial records to show a positive cash balance and disguise serious debt.

Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear) said in a statement that Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell should investigate whether criminal charges should be brought in this case.

“Our sympathies begin and end with the students, faculty, and parents of Isaac,” Montenegro stated. “The people of Arizona deserve to know how this happened, and those responsible must be held accountable.”

More Arizona education news

Camryn Sanchez is a field correspondent at KJZZ covering everything to do with state politics.