Southwest
Arizona school district takes huge blow to enrollment as parents choose other options
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Arizona’s second-largest school district cut staff after losing enrollment due to “competition with charter schools.”
Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) Superintendent Franklin R. Narducci on Wednesday cited declines in enrollment since 2023, a year after lawmakers passed universal school choice to give parents options to choose schools outside of neighborhood public schools.
Narducci further cited several factors driving enrollment loss, including “competition with charter schools,” escalating costs of homeownership and declining birth rates.
BUSINESS BOOMS FOR FIRM THAT RECRUITS STUDENTS AS ENROLLMENT IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS TANK NATIONWIDE
CUSD’s governing board on Wednesday voted to cut around 60 positions in administration, among deans and coaching roles.
Chandler Unified School District Superintendent Franklin R. Narducci on Wednesday cited declines in enrollment since 2023, a year after lawmakers passed universal school choice to give parents options to choose schools outside of neighborhood public schools. (iStock)
Lana Berry, chief financial officer for the district, said enrollment dropped to over 4000 students since 2022 and is projected to continue dropping.
After all the staff cuts, CUSD remains the second-largest district in Arizona and the second-largest employer in the East Valley.
“Arizona public school districts are in an unfortunate and critical position due to the state legislature’s historical underfunding of public education,” Chandler Education Association President Laurel Miller reportedly said in an email.
TRUMP ADMIN TO MAKE HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN CHARTER SCHOOLS AMID NATIONWIDE DECLINE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
Miller reportedly cited the nearly $3 billion in taxpayer funds allocated to Arizona’s “fraud-ridden” ESA voucher program, which, she claimed, led to “unnecessary enrollment declines — forcing districts to make dire decisions like cutting beloved staff and closing community schools.”
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey speaks during a news conference as Dr. Cara M. Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, looks on, at the Banner Health COVID-19 vaccine point of distribution at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix Dec. 16, 2020. (David Wallace/The Arizona Republic via USA Today Network)
Arizona became the first state to offer universal school choice for all families in 2022, launching an $800 million program that gives parents $7,000 to put toward their children’s tuition. Several other states followed, indicating a trend of parents seeking alternative options to traditional public schools.
According to local outlet KPHO, a teacher spoke during the school district meeting Wednesday, saying teachers are being spread too thin.
“I feel like what they’re going to be asked to do is too much for a single person to do because they’re going to be doing essentially the work of three people in the time of one. And I’m very concerned about the sustainability of that,” the teacher said. “I also worry that some families will say, ‘I want a librarian at my school,’ and they’ll leave and go to charter schools.”
PRELIMINARY DATA SHOWS CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS ENROLLMENT FALLS TO HISTORIC LOW: REPORT
Most states restrict parents to schools within their zip code or school district, but charter schools allow families to choose alternatives.
Several other states followed Arizona in passing universal school choice, indicating a trend of parents seeking alternative options to traditional public schools. ( )
Charter schools compete with traditional public schools for students and per-pupil funding.
Critics argue that money taken away from traditional public schools could be used to boost teachers’ salaries, invest in public schools and recruit more teachers.
Charter schools often face criticism from teachers unions because they compete with public schools for per-pupil funding and parents are allowed to opt out of their neighborhood public schools.
Tucson Unified School District, based in Tucson, Arizona, experienced similar losses last year. The district faced financial and enrollment struggles after universal school choice passed in the state in 2022.
CUSD officials did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Read the full article from Here
WARNING: Video footage contains graphic violence
A 62-year-old street vendor is recovering after a brutally violent attack by another woman in broad daylight as bystanders in downtown Los Angeles looked on.
The attack happened around 4 p.m. on June 15 in the 700 block of Figueroa Street, where Arabelia Martinez has sold hot dogs for years to support herself and her family.
Video of the incident, which has since circulated widely online, appears to show a woman confronting Martinez at her stand before spraying sauce across the vendor’s cart. Martinez responds by throwing what appears to be Tajín seasoning in the woman’s direction, and the confrontation quickly escalates.
The difficult-to-watch footage shows Martinez being shoved to the ground and struck multiple times as people look on. Some can be seen attempting to intervene, but the assault continues for roughly a minute before coming to an end.
“I was speechless,” Martinez’s son, Constantino Garcia, said after watching the video. “I couldn’t even see the whole thing.”
According to Garcia, the suspect approached his mother before the attack and attempted to intimidate her into giving her money.
“The lady came up to my mom trying to intimidate her and extort her for money, telling her she needed a permit to sell, which my mom does have,” Garcia told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo.
When Martinez refused, Garcia claims the woman became verbally abusive.
“After she didn’t get her way and tried to extort my mom, she said, ‘Go back to Mexico,’ and made some racist remarks,” he said. “She said some disgusting things to my mom.”
Garcia said his mother continues to suffer lingering effects from the attack.
“She keeps complaining about her head,” he said. “We need to go see a head specialist because her head doesn’t stop hurting. As you could see in the video, she got slammed to the ground.”
-
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia) -
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia)
The video has also sparked outrage over the response from some witnesses who were nearby during the assault.
“What’s going on with our society?” Garcia said. “Are we getting desensitized to an elderly woman being beaten in broad daylight and being surrounded by people doing the bare minimum to help her? That was horrible for me to watch.”
Witness Sebastian Gutierrez said he arrived moments after the confrontation and saw Garcia’s attacker causing additional chaos in the area.
“The lady began to flip over the tables of vendors,” Gutierrez said, describing the woman as possibly unstable. “It definitely seemed like there were mental health issues or drugs involved, like we see with a lot of things here in downtown L.A.,” he said.
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched a battery investigation into the incident KTLA confirmed, though no suspect information or news of a potential arrest has been released.
Meanwhile, Martinez’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with her recovery and raise awareness about the dangers street vendors face daily.
“I hope that my mom gets justice for what happened to her,” Garcia said. He added that he’s been encouraged by the public response to the video.
“I’m grateful people are sympathizing with my mom,” he said. “People are giving it the attention it deserves.”
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended its particle pollution advisory as smoke from the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights continues to affect air quality across the region. Officials said the incident remains fluid, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is continuing to monitor conditions. Residents are urged to follow […]
Four months after federal agents searched his home and office as part of an investigation into a controversial artificial intelligence contract, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has resigned. News that Carvalho was submitting his resignation to the LAUSD Board of Education broke late Sunday evening, with a board spokesperson confirming the development […]
-
Texas5 minutes agoTexas lawmakers want fixes to statewide voter registration system ahead of midterms
-
Utah12 minutes ago‘Now’s our time’: Utah Jazz fans rejoice as Darryn Peterson gives them something they’ve been missing
-
Vermont15 minutes agoCosts — and frustrations — rise as Royalton waits for bridge
-
Virginia20 minutes agoNew Tiger Woods Golf Course Coming To Virginia Resort Community
-
Washington27 minutes agoParsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool
-
Wisconsin30 minutes agoHow Decelise Champion’s early arrival impacts Wisconsin volleyball
-
West Virginia35 minutes agoWV Celtic Festival and Highland Games
-
Wyoming42 minutes agoLargest Car Collections In Wyoming Is Up For Auction
