Superintendent Horne Lost $29 Million in School Improvement Grants

Phoenix, AZ - Governor Katie Hobbs released the following statement after new reporting showed that Superintendent Tom Horne lost $29 million in federal funds to assist underperforming students:

“Yet again, Superintendent Horne pulled the rug out from under public schools, leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table for struggling students. That means less assistance for underfunded schools and students who are falling behind. Time and again the Superintendent has put his partisan agenda and political games ahead of doing his job and working to improve and invest in public schools and the children who rely on them to succeed. Superintendent Horne needs to be held accountable for the gross mismanagement of school improvement grants and loss of critical federal funding meant to give every child an opportunity to thrive."

The new reporting comes after Superintendent Horne failed to secure critical Title I funding for Arizona public schools, instead focusing efforts on a $10 million advertising campaign for the unaccountable and unsustainable ESA program that is breaking the state’s budget.