Horne asks AZ Supreme Court to allow him to enforce English-only instruction

Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne is asking the state Supreme Court for the power to enforce a voter-approved law requiring English-only instruction for students learning the language.

Horne also wants the ability to sue Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes who he claims are helping school districts defy the law by supporting a “dual language model.”

“They're saying we don't care that voters passed an initiative that said we have to do structured English immersion, we can't do dual language, we're going to do it anyway. And you have the irony of the governor and an attorney general who are supporting lawlessness. It's unbelievable," Horne said.

At the heart of the case is Proposition 203, a 2000 voter-approved law, which mandates four hours a day of English-only instruction.

"It gives them the amount of English instruction that people need. And for beginners, they do need four hours so that they can learn English quickly, and succeed academically," said Horne

That approach was challenged by some education officials who said separating students from their peers was a form of segregation. Lawmakers relaxed the earlier law in 2019, allowing for more “research-based” models.

Arizona’s lower courts have ruled that Horne has no authority to enforce the earlier law.