PHOENIX — Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne plans to request $180 million dollars from the state to further fund the school safety program.
The program, which places officers and counselors in schools, is sorely needed as youth violence rises, Horne said during a Thursday press conference.
He also expects the demand for officers to increase in response to violent incidents, such as the fatal August stabbing at Maryvale High School that left a 16-year-old boy dead.
“Every school that’s asked for a police officer has gotten one,” Horne said. “We don’t want in the future (to) ever have to deny a police officer to a school and then have a catastrophe happen because there was not enough money to pay for that police officer.”
Details about the funding request for officers in Arizona schools
Arizona Department of Education Director of School Safety Mike Kurtenbach said funding from the state and federal government is set to expire in 2026.
New funding is needed for carryover costs and program expansion, he added.
“I’ve gone throughout the state, recently in La Paz County, Coconino County, up in Navajo, working with our tribes,” Kurtenbach said. “There was a significant demand for growth.”
Why Tom Horne wants to expand school safety program
Horne explained that having an officer in the school can prevent students being hurt during a crisis.
Kurtenbach added his office is working with schools to approve emergency operating plans.
“As part of the legislation also, these schools are not required to just attest that they have plans, but for grant funding going forward, they must actually submit those plans to us for review,” he said.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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