Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State Board approves one‑year release of carryover funds to cover $53M in school‑safety requests
Summary
The Arizona State Board of Education voted June 22 to release carryover and newly allocated funds to fully fund more than $53 million in FY2027 'first position' school‑safety requests for one year, officials said; board members urged legislative action to sustain the program beyond the one‑time allocation.
The Arizona State Board of Education voted June 22 to release carryover and newly allocated funds to cover every 'first position' request for the school‑safety grant program for the 2026–27 fiscal year, a one‑time action that officials said totals just over $53 million.
Sid Bailey, the Arizona Department of Education’s Associate Superintendent overseeing school safety, told the board the department "committed all the carryover money to that program" and that staff can notify local education agencies as soon as letters are ready. Bailey said the carryover enables the department to fund not only the three‑year cohort approved last month but also outstanding first‑position requests for one year only.
The grant program has grown substantially since 2018, Bailey said, expanding from roughly $12 million to more than $128 million and supporting school resource officers, counselors and social workers. He cautioned that the carryover covers the one‑year cohort only: "this is 1 year's worth of funds, and then we're tapped out" without additional legislative funding.
Board members pressed staff to clarify what counts as a "first position" request. Dr. Clay and staff explained that each LEA could prioritize up to two positions per site; first‑position denotes the LEA’s priority 1 request (priority, not "first time"). Department staff said the rubric used to select multi‑year awardees is not needed to fund first‑position requests because there are now sufficient carryover funds to honor them all.
Superintendent Horn and other members urged districts and community members to urge lawmakers for ongoing support. "Next year we need to make a full court press with the legislature for additional funding," Superintendent Horn said, noting the department had requested more from the legislature than was appropriated this year.
At the meeting Dr. Clay moved to approve the release of carryover funds to be awarded to LEAs for the FY2027 one‑year cohort and to release newly allocated funds to the FY2027 one‑year waitlist; Member Haney seconded the motion, which the board adopted.
The board’s action funds a one‑year cohort for all first‑position requests; districts approved last month retain three‑year awards. The department will notify awardees within one to two days, staff said. The decision leaves unresolved whether the state will identify a recurring funding source to support the positions beyond FY2027.
