Arizona Department of Education
Coverage of Arizona Department of Education in the Nexus archive.
- Voucher oversight fight tilts GOP superintendent primary toward Kimberly Yee over Tom Horne
Kimberly Yee leads Tom Horne in the GOP primary for Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the race centered on oversight of the state's school voucher program. Yee, a former state treasurer, aims to unseat Horne, an 81-year-old incumbent. The winner will face Democrat Teresa Leyba Ruiz in November.
- Mayes settles voucher lawsuit that challenged documentation requirements
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes settled a lawsuit with the Goldwater Institute and an ESA parent over requirements for documenting purchases in the state's Empowerment Scholarship Account program. The settlement allows parents to avoid proving materials are curriculum-specific but mandates attestations and curriculum information for oversight.
- Audit finds Arizona’s universal school voucher oversight is ‘haphazard,’ riddled with gaps
An audit revealed the Arizona Department of Education's oversight of the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) voucher program was haphazard and lacked risk-based auditing processes, leading to automatic approval of unallowable purchases like amusement park tickets and a $1,000 generator. The department prioritized resolving payment backlogs over complying with a 2024 law requiring collaboration with the Auditor General's Office, and nearly 2.3 million sub-$2,000 transactions worth $654 million were automatically processed without required oversight.
- Democratic school chief candidates debated voucher fraud, teacher shortage and Horne hotline
Democratic candidates Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz debated issues including voucher program oversight, teacher retention, and accountability in Arizona's public education system. Ruiz emphasized her 35-year education background and budget management experience, while Newby highlighted challenges in rural schools and support for students with autism. Both candidates criticized the state's voucher program for lacking oversight and mismanagement.