Phoenix Union voted against funding for police in schools. Horne is asking district to reconsider

Tom Horne, Arizona's superintendent of public instruction, is asking the Phoenix Union High School District governing board to reverse a recent decision to vote down funding for school resource officers.

The state Department of Education had set aside mini-grants to pay for SROs in schools that requested them.

Last month, the PXU governing board voted down the use of that funding, with member Lizette Mier voicing concerns that the wording would make the SROs overseen by the police rather than the school.

“So given the current administration and knowing how many vulnerable students we have in our district, I can’t in good conscience vote for SROs," Mier said.

Horne, along with some current and retired district educators are asking the board to reverse its decision, suggesting a risk for school shootings.

“If they were to find out after that happened that the school could have had a police officer paid for by us and decided not to, you could imagine how the parents would feel about that decision making,” Horne said.

A PXU spokesperson says it already has funded support from the Education Department’s Safety Grant that pays for social workers and existing SROs. The district is also implementing Advanced Weapons Protection Systems this upcoming school year.