Arizona

Arizona’s ESA program surpasses 100,000 students as enrollment continues rapid growth

Published

3 weeks ago

January 22, 2026

Arizona’s ESA program surpasses 100,000 students as enrollment continues rapid growth

PHOENIX — Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program has reached a significant milestone, with more than 100,000 students now enrolled in the controversial school choice initiative.

The ESA program allows parents to use tax money that would have been allocated for their child’s public school education to pay for private schooling or homeschooling expenses instead.

Since the program’s universal expansion in 2022, more than 6,000 students join each quarter on average, and the state’s ESA website shows 100,208 ESA students are currently enrolled as of January 20.

Shift in student demographics

Early data showed most ESA students represented additional expenses – children already homeschooled or attending private schools. However, recent trends show a significant shift.

Now, four in 10 new ESA students weren’t previously funded by public education dollars, down from eight in 10 when the program began.

Geographic concentration in suburban areas

ESA enrollment is most popular in the Valley’s suburban communities, particularly in the southeast region. Four of the five ZIP codes adding the most ESA students are located in Queen Creek and San Tan Valley.

The one outlier is ZIP code 85365, which covers the Yuma Proving Grounds area and serves mostly military families.

Public schools losing students to ESA

The school districts experiencing the highest percentage of students leaving for ESA include Kingman Unified, Alhambra Elementary, Dysart Unified, Amphitheatre Unified in Tucson, and Queen Creek Unified.

Among charter schools, online institutions are seeing the most departures. These include ASU Preparatory Digital, Arizona Connections Academy, American Virtual Academy, American Leadership Academy, and charter schools run by Eduprize Schools.

How ESA funds are being spent

Nearly six in 10 ESA dollars spent last quarter went toward private school tuition or textbooks, totaling almost $104 million.

About $70 million was spent on homeschooling or supplemental materials – a category that has drawn scrutiny for some questionable expenses.

Spending drops significantly for other categories, including online learning, disability services for non-universal students, technology, and classes at postsecondary institutions like Mesa Community College.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for Feb. 15, 2026

Published

1 hour ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for Feb. 15, 2026

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers

3-1-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

05-08-09-26-36

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

03-05-11-14-28-38

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
5 white balls = $1 million.
4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
4 white balls = $100.
3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
3 white balls = $7.
2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
1 red Powerball = $4.

There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy Arizona lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Arizona

3 Winners From ASU’s Overtime Win Over Arizona

Published

13 hours ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

3 Winners From ASU’s Overtime Win Over Arizona

TEMPE — The Arizona State Sun Devils moved to 21-6 and 8-6 in the Big 12 on Saturday afternoon following a dramatic 75-69 win over Arizona that was won in a five-minute overtime period.

The Sun Devils faced adversity going into the game, as starting guard Last-Tear Poa was ruled out on Friday night’s player availability report – although the squad pulled through to secure another key win.

Arizona State on SI names three major winners from the contest in Tucson below.

Arizona State Stars

Arizona State’s season has been highlighted by a balanced, well-coached roster that plays well together.

Ultimately, the team knows where the ball is going in crunch time despite the interconnected nature of the main rotation – McKinna Brackens and Gabby Elliott delivered in incredible fashion.

Brackens knocked down a pull-up mid-range jump shot with just 3.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that sent the game to overtime, while Elliott knocked down a three-point look on the wing off of a Brackens assist to put Arizona State up 70-67 at the 2:18 mark of overtime.

Elliott finished with 22 points that was rooted in an efficient 4-8 mark from behind the arc, while Brackens paced the team with 24 points – also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Kansas State Wildcats forward Nastja Claessens (4) steals the ball away from ASU Sun Devils forward McKinna Brackens (21) at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Feb. 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Molly Miller

The first year of the new era under Miller’s leadership continues to be a resounding success.

The win over Arizona not only marked the first time the program’s bitter rival had been swept since the 2017-18 season, it also meant Miller became the most successful first-year coach in the history of the program – winning 21 games and counting to this point.

Miller’s hard-nosed philosophy, intentional roster building, and curation of a battle-tested staff have translated to the Sun Devils becoming a serious competitor in the Big 12 instantly – after years of struggles that were previously endured.

Arizona State’s Tournament Chances

The Sun Devils came into the weekend firmly on the tournament bubble, with ESPN’s Charlie Creme placing them in “last four in” territory.

A loss would have been disastrous for the Sun Devils’ tournament profile, as they already lost to Cincinnati going into the matchup. Avoiding this loss continued to add to their lofty win total, while also steadying the overall metrics that measure whether or not they are a tournament-level squad.

Arizona State returns to action on Wednesday night against Audi Crooks and Iowa State in what will be another opportunity to pick up a massive win.

ASU Sun Devils guard Marley Washenitz (11) looks to pass the ball against the Kansas State Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Feb. 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!

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Arizona

Arizona suffers first home loss of season against Texas Tech

Published

1 day ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

Arizona suffers first home loss of season against Texas Tech

Arizona’s morning started as early as 5 a.m. for some as College Gameday fans started to line up before the sun rose outside of McKale Center before their ranked matchup against Texas Tech. Arizona would suffer their first home loss of the season later on in the day in a three point overtime loss to the Red Raiders, almost certainly dropping their national ranking from No. 1 for the first time in over two months. Koa Peat did not play most of the second half with what Coach Lloyd called a “lower leg thing”. Dwayne Aristode also did not play due to illness, as it seems Arizona is finally touching Earth with two losses this week. The Wildcats will take on the BYU Cougars on Wednesday.

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