Arizona

Sound the alarm: Arizona is intentionally neglecting public schools | Opinion

Published

9 months ago

June 18, 2025

Press Room

Sound the alarm: Arizona is intentionally neglecting public schools | Opinion

If Arizona doesn’t change course and infuse a lot more money into public schools, the education system on which so many rely will fall apart.

Kathy Hoffman
| opinion contributor

Arizona public schools are facing a funding crisis, ranking 49th in per-pupil spending.
Many schools are facing difficult choices like closing buildings, laying off teachers and cutting programs.
The state Legislature is debating the budget, with disagreements on funding for education and the ESA voucher program.

As Arizona’s former superintendent of public instruction, I have stayed engaged with education leaders and teachers across the state, and I am devastated by what I see.

Because for years, the Legislature has siphoned funds away from public education without even maintaining enough money for building repairs or retaining highly qualified staff.

Sadly, our public school system is holding on by a thread — and we are running out of time to act.

Arizona’s public schools need our support more than ever. In many school districts across the state, especially in rural Arizona, communities are facing excruciating budget decisions: Close schools? Lay off teachers? Eliminate music classes?

These are not isolated challenges, and many more districts are evaluating how many school buildings will need to be closed or which positions to cut.

Arizona is not adequately funding public schools

Our entire education funding system is in crisis. Early childhood and higher education funding have been on the decline for years. The entire education system needs to be well-funded to ensure a strong foundation for the state’s economy.

Yet, despite the very real harm to families and communities, our Legislature has failed to adequately fund public education, and we are still 49th in the country for per-pupil spending.

Gov. Katie Hobbs and legislative leaders are in the final rounds of the negotiating process to set the state’s budget. They need to confront the Arizona Department of Education’s $200 million budget shortfall that was caused, in part, by the out-of-control cost of the universal ESA voucher program, which is nearly $1 billion annually.

Despite these pressing issues, the House passed a budget that leaves the voucher program unreformed and aims to cut $60 million from districts.

The Senate’s version is a step in the right direction, including more money for basic aid, maintenance and instruction. I also would advocate for solving the budget sinkholes created by Republicans’ refusal to put politics aside and establish guardrails for the universal ESA voucher program.

The assault on public education has only become more aggressive this year with steps taken to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

Any disruption of federal funds — regardless of whether it is funding for students with special needs, Medicaid funding for school nurses, Head Start funding for low-income preschoolers or research dollars for universities — would be devastating for Arizona’s schools and families.

Teachers and staff are doing tremendous work

The lack of support is particularly heartbreaking when I have also seen firsthand the tremendous successes of Arizona’s school leaders and teachers.

From the bus driver to the reading specialist to the biology teacher, it takes a village, and there are countless passionate and hardworking people who are making a difference in children’s lives.

Through my current work at Arizona State University, I have toured innovative programs and am inspired by what is possible through collaboration.

I was particularly impressed by the Pendergast Elementary School District’s partnership with the Glendale Chamber of Commerce to create a co-working space in one of their school buildings, referred to as “WestVentures.”

Not only are they fostering entrepreneurship and partnerships with businesses like Amazon and CORE Construction, but they also are planning to offer hands-on work experiences through student internships.

This is an exemplary model of how underutilized school buildings can be repurposed while enhancing student engagement.

We must all speak against public school neglect

It gives me hope and optimism when I’m in classrooms watching students’ faces light up. But it is a disservice to our youngest Arizonans to stay silent.

I am ringing these alarm bells not only as an education leader, but also as a mom. With every year that my two young children approach their first day of kindergarten, I am appalled at the intentional neglect of public schools.

We can build on the success of models like WestVentures and establish many more partnerships between businesses, nonprofits and local districts. We can strengthen the foundation of public education by increasing the per pupil allocation.

Now is the time for all of us to stand up for public schools. Now is the time to tell the governor and Legislature that education must be a top priority in this year’s budget.

Our kids and teachers cannot wait, and they deserve so much better.

Kathy Hoffman is a former Arizona superintendent of public instruction. Reach her at katherine.hoffman@asu.edu.

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Arizona

No. 2 Arizona tops Iowa State to win outright Big 12 title

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

No. 2 Arizona tops Iowa State to win outright Big 12 title

TUCSON, Ariz. — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas had 13 and No. 2 Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night.

The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday.

Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons.

“The Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country,” Lloyd said while addressing the home crowd after the game, “and to win it by a couple of games, it’s pretty impressive. So take your hats off to these guys right here.”

Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones (24-6, 11-6) labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the field, including 7-of-30 from 3-point range.

During his postgame news conference, Lloyd called out the narrative surrounding his team when discussing the Wildcats’ toughness and physicality.

“I think the narrative that we were soft is lazy. I mean, look at our stats, look at our analytics — we’ve always been a great rebounding team, we’ve always pounded the paint,” Lloyd said. “If you want to just be lazy and not pay attention and say we’re soft because we’re on the West Coast, be lazy, and I’d love to play against you.”

Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, but leading scorer Milan Momcilovic was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting. The nation’s best 3-point shooter at 51%, Momcilovic went 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Neither team could make much of anything, due to good defense and poor shooting.

Iowa State shot 9-of-33 from the field and 4-of-20 from 3 in the first half.

Arizona labored most of the half as the Cyclones focused on defending the paint before the Wildcats closed on a 15-3 run to lead 37-25 at halftime.

It only got worse for Iowa State to start the second half. The Cyclones missed their first eight shots as Arizona stretched the lead to 16.

Iowa State briefly found an offensive rhythm, using a 10-1 run to pull to within 44-37, but didn’t hit a field goal for more than five minutes as Arizona stretched the lead back to 15.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Arizona

Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability

Published

14 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability

PHOENIX — The Arizona NAACP is responding to the violent arrest of Israel Devoe, a Phoenix man who was acquitted of all charges stemming from a 2024 traffic stop in which officers punched, kneed, and elbowed him.

Sarah Tyree, president of the Arizona NAACP State Conference, said the case is part of a broader and familiar pattern.

“What happened here reflects a pattern our communities know all too well. Time and again, we see policing tactics that are dangerous and deeply harmful to civilians, yet are later justified as ‘within policy’ through carefully crafted reports and the broad protections afforded under Graham v. Connor,” Tyree wrote in an emailed statement following an ABC15 investigation.

RELATED: Phoenix man to file lawsuit after dangerous game of ‘Simon Says’ with police

Phoenix police officials found all four officers involved in Devoe’s arrest to have acted within policy, records show.

After a two-day trial, jurors unanimously found Devoe not guilty on all four of the felony charges against him — including aggravated assault on officers and resisting arrest.

In her statement, Tyree said true accountability is not possible without changing state law.

“Accountability remains out of reach in Arizona because the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights continues to insulate misconduct from meaningful oversight, too often shifting blame onto the very communities most impacted by these encounters,” she wrote. “We also encourage Arizona voters to engage their state legislators and advocate for the repeal or amendment of the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights to ensure systems of public safety are truly accountable to the public they serve.”

Devoe’s case again highlights problems with policing in Phoenix, which has been under scrutiny following a Department of Justice investigation that found the city had a pattern and practice of using excessive force, discrimination, and weak oversight.

ABC15 is committed to finding the answers you need and holding those accountable.

Submit your news tip to Investigators@abc15.com

The push for federal oversight ended in 2025 after the Trump administration ended such efforts across the country.

Devoe’s civil attorney, Jesse Showalter, also represents Tyron McAlpin, a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy who was violently arrested by Phoenix officers in July 2024. Showalter has said both cases reflect what he described as an accepted norm of extreme violence within the Phoenix Police Department.

A Phoenix police spokesperson said the department declines to comment because Devoe is set to file a lawsuit against the city.

This digital article was produced with the assistance of AI and converted to this platform based on the broadcast story written and reported by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing (Dave@abc15.com). 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 March 1, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for March 1, 2026

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

Here’s a look at Sunday, March 1, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers

6-4-2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

01-07-11-18-28

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

12-17-23-31-37-42

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/.

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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