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Trump Unfreezes $6.2B in K-12 Funding
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On Friday, the Trump administration announced that it would release the remaining $5.4 billion in K-12 funding that it had unlawfully, recklessly, and cruelly frozen [[link removed]] one month ago. After weeks of pressure from voters, families, educators, school leaders, and politicians on both sides of the aisle to release these funds — as well as a powerful lawsuit joined by AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes [[link removed]] and 22 other states — Trump and his Department of Education seem to have realized what we all know: Americans love their local public schools and want them fully and fairly funded. [[link removed]]
Thanks to you and thousands of advocates around the country, the Trump administration and members of Congress heard us loud and clear! Thanks for lifting your voice — it matters, and it’s working 💪💪💪
The return of withheld funds will be a welcome relief for Arizona public schools, which were thrown into chaos and uncertainty [[link removed]] for the first month of the school year by Trump’s abrupt decisions last month. Many districts had to put programs and staffing on hold as they began the new year due to this irresponsible and unlawful freeze. Make no mistake, these reckless actions cause direct harm to children, families, educators and schools — and the only reason Trump has decided to release them is because withholding them is illegal.
This freezing of congressionally approved K-12 funds was a test balloon for how strongly Americans were going to react to the withholding of funds for vulnerable children. The collective “we” stepped up this time, and we are going to need to continue holding the line repeatedly as this administration explores ways it can terrorize our most vulnerable students and our public institutions. The administration is already threatening $12 billion in additional cuts to K-12 during the federal budget process — but we are not going to let that happen.
It is utterly unacceptable for this administration to play games with children’s education and the services our families and communities rely on. While the Trump administration remains focused on dismantling public education, everyday Americans are standing up and fighting back. Join Team SOSAZ on Sunday, August 10 for a statewide townhall [[link removed]] to hear about the latest in education news from the Supreme Court, federal legislation, the state budget and more. Then hear about all the ways our statewide network of volunteers is fighting back and taking action for public education. Register today! [[link removed]]
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READ THE FULL WEEKLY EDUCATION REPORT HERE [[link removed]]
LEA EL SEMANARIO EN ESPAÑOL [[link removed]]
AZ Vouchers Under Scrutiny
Catching up on the summer news: Over the past few months, 12 News’ Craig Harris has launched a series of hard-hitting investigative reports scrutinizing Arizona’s unaccountable, off-the-rails $1 billion ESA voucher program. Here’s a recap of this work to give you a high-level overview of what he’s found — make some popcorn and take a few breaths, it’s a wild ride 🍿🎢
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🤔 Vouchers for the rich: While special interests and former Gov. Ducey touted vouchers as a way to level the educational playing field, the reality is that Arizona’s ESA vouchers have “primarily only helped the rich.” [[link removed]] 12 News shows current data that undeniably proves Arizona’s voucher program is geared towards helping the rich pay for private schools their kids were already attending.
📉 Voucher overspending is causing shortfalls — and tanking our budget: 12 News found vouchers played a key role in an unprecedented $206 million funding shortfall [[link removed]] announced by Supt. Tom Horne in May.
🎻 Over $20 million for “luxury” extracurriculars: A 12 News analysis of ESA voucher spending records found that over $20 million in tax dollars has been spent on private dance, piano, and swimming lessons [[link removed]] – extras that public school families must pay for on their own.
💰 $440 million in voucher funding sitting unused: This report uncovered massive amounts of unused voucher funding collecting dust in accounts [[link removed]] and points out that while Arizona’s ESA vouchers primarily go to high-income families, funding for Arizona public schools is among the worst in the US.
⁉️ $38k for Kitchen Appliances: The 12 News team uncovered through a public records request that Arizona taxpayers picked up a $38,248 tab for more than 200 KitchenAid products [[link removed]] in one year, including 66 premium mixers that cost $300 to $849, using taxpayer-funded voucher dollars.
Join Us!
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Statewide Virtual Call in August! Join Team SOSAZ for a statewide virtual townhall on Sunday, Aug. 10 [[link removed]] to hear about the latest in education news from the Supreme Court, federal legislation, the state budget and more. Then hear about all the ways our statewide network of volunteers is fighting back and taking action for public education.
REGISTER HERE [[link removed]]
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Help Voters on Wednesdays all Summer! Want to help voters who are at risk of being kicked off the voter rolls? Join us for a virtual phone bank every Wednesday from 4-5:30 pm and help voters get re-registered! Training is provided — all experience levels are welcome!
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Join our Deep Canvassing Team! Learn all about deep canvassing and how to have meaningful conversations with swing voters. Deep canvassing focuses on listening and connecting with voters to understand their concerns, questions and perspectives on public education. Our Knock & Talk Deep Canvasses are off and running! Sign up for one of our interactive virtual trainings so you can be part of this incredible team of changemakers.
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From Page to Power: A Justice-Focused Book Club by Save Our Schools Arizona Network! Join us virtually on Sunday, July 13 and August 10 from 3:00-4:00 pm over Zoom to discuss our next read Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad! No pressure to finish the book—come for the conversation. Let’s read, reflect, and build power for Arizona’s public schools! Sign up to get the zoom info!
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Contact Us
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