A panel of Arizona lawmakers wants more accountability for taxpayer dollars going to public schools. Their eyes are on two Valley school districts.
Earlier this year, the Isaac School District in Phoenix went under a state receivership due to a cash deficit of several million dollars.
The nearby Tolleson Union High School district stepped in to bail Isaac out by buying the other district's property for $25 million.
Isaac will pay that money back gradually with interest.
However, some lawmakers are disturbed by Isaac’s unusual deal with Tolleson and the financial situation Isaac got into in the first place.
“It's this kind of stuff that is showing up as an epidemic throughout, not just school systems, but it's the lack of focus, on mission, of what we are spending taxpayer money on,” said Sen. Mark Finchem (R-Prescott), the Joint Legislative Audit Committee co-chair, at a hearing on Friday.
Fellow committee co-chair Rep. Matt Gress (R-Phoenix) said in a text that the committee is "exploring the need” for more audits and gathering more information.
The Arizona Auditor General’s Office had marked Isaac high risk for several years leading up to the receivership.
Gress is also sponsoring a bill that would require school board members of failing schools to resign and ban real estate deals like the one between Tolleson and Isaac.
Lawmakers and speakers brought up slipping test scores, financial mismanagement and alleged conflicts of interest in hiring
“It's just a notorious policy. I just don't think that school districts should become a friends and family employment center,” Gress said.
One question that resurfaced is about the role of Tolleson Superintendent Jeremey Calles, who also did work as a consultant for Isaac and helped broker the deal between the districts.
The receiver, Keith Kenny, issued a bleak report on Isaac in May.
Kenny testified to the legislative panel that Isaac was probably “the worst situation” he’s ever walked into.
-
Mesa is awarding funds to youth ages 15 to 24 so they can develop their own climate conservation projects. The Mesa Youth Climate Action Fund gives young adults and teens $1,000 to $5,000 to help support the city’s environmental goals. -
Arizona State University is partnering with local school districts on a new fruit and vegetable study. They want to figure out how schools can work with grocery stores to encourage kids and families to eat more of those foods. -
The Arizona Healthy Schools Act recently took effect as the new school year got underway. Several districts said they started planning for the change last year. -
The U.S. Education Department has sent a public letter to colleges and universities across the country, asking a series of questions. -
The law, which passed last year, is now in effect as schools start back up this month. The list of banned additives includes colored food dyes and potassium bromide, which are linked to negative health outcomes, including stomach issues and some cancers.
