In Arizona, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has found himself embroiled in two public spars — one over missing funds and another stoked by his own disparaging comments directed at an education advocate. Horne, according to an article by Phoenix New Times, has been criticized for neglecting a $29 million federal grant allocation while seeming more concerned with attacking Beth Lewis, director of Save Our Schools Arizona, over Title IX regulations.
As per Phoenix New Times, Horne missed a deadline that resulted in the reversion of Title I funding for needy schools back to the federal government. He blamed his predecessor for the fiasco, despite having been in office for eight months at the deadline's passing. It also noted that Horne had enough time to issue an email targeting Lewis for her comments concerning a photo he posted, which led to Horne questioning the advocacy group leader's stance on transgender kids' access to school restrooms.
Meanwhile, in a recent turn of events regarding the lost funds, Governor Katie Hobbs has urged a special audit. Her push, as reported by an article from AZ Mirror, is a response to the revelation that Horne's department was responsible for not utilizing the multimillion-dollar grant. "It is unconscionable that Superintendent (Tom) Horne has let tens of millions of dollars disappear from our schools — critical federal funding that helps students succeed," Hobbs said.
As this drama unfolds, local education advocates like Lewis maintain their focus on the real on-the-ground needs of Arizona's schools and students. "Superintendent Horne obviously should have his hands full of real work considering he just lost $29 million for Arizona public schools through inaction of his department," Lewis told Phoenix New Times. Save Our Schools Arizona continues its campaign to support robust public education in the face of challenges, such as those posed by the current superintendent's actions and policies.
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