Amid the heat of fiscal accountability, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has made headlines by demanding a retraction from Azcentral.com and The Arizona Republic. The contention stems from a story accusing Horne's administration of a costly error that resulted in the loss of $29 million in federal funds meant for school improvement.
The crux of the matter lies in the timeline of the funds' allocation, which Horne asserts predates his term, placing responsibility squarely on the prior administration, and this disputation was conveyed to the publication days before the article saw the light of day, yet the questioned narrative was still given wing. Horne's letter argued with force, “The story is false, and the reporter responsible for writing it dishonestly and, apparently with intent, withheld information given to him in advance of the story that clearly shows the story is false. This is unacceptable and cannot stand."
There appears to be supporting evidence that Horne references, noting communication given to reporter Nick Sullivan, that details were shared which should have clarified that “The reverted funds represent federal school improvement dollars allocated in federal Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 during the prior department administration. (That means the dollars had to be allocated by July 1, 2022, before I took office.)" Horne's administration stresses that the reversion of funds is a circumstance inherited rather than incurred under his watch, a distinction paramount in the conversation of blame and accountability.
As of this report, no retraction has been issued by Azcentral.com or The Arizona Republic.
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