Horne announces waiver offer from federal government to avoid reverting funds

For immediate release: August 12, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne announces waiver offer from federal government to avoid reverting funds

Word came late last week and will be submitted

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced today the U.S. Department of Education (USED) contacted the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) late last week to offer a waiver to recoup approximately $29 million federal Title I dollars that had been under-utilized during the Hoffman administration. The department has submitted that waiver request that will cover State Fiscal Years 2021, 2022, and 2023.

On August 8, USED contacted ADE Title I staff to encourage the department to apply for what is known as a Tydings waiver to allow excess funds that had accrued due to under-allocations that began in Federal Fiscal Year 2020. Prior to the August 8 notification, no requests had been mentioned by USED to ADE.

Horne stated, “I will always fight for more money for schools, so I am happy to submit this waiver request to the federal government. The under-utilization of about $29 million in federal funds began in Federal Fiscal Year 2020, but continued under the previous superintendent and the employee who incompetently handed these allocations no longer works at this department.”

He added, “The governor today is repeating false allegations. These dollars should have been sent to districts and charters years ago during the Hoffman administration, but they were allowed by previous staff to accumulate and potentially revert. In reality she is asking to investigate Kathy Hoffman’s administration, but the problem is being corrected by my administration.”

With the approval of this waiver request, the department will be able to increase funding to the most underserved districts and charters.

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