School Finance budget reports (Budg-25, Budg-75, AGD, Budg-25 Letter, Budg-75 Letter, and TNT) are now located on the same website where SDER, transportation, and payment reports are accessed: Local Education Agency Reports - ADE School Finance Reports

There is now a section titled “School District Budget Reports” located between the basic state aid reports and transportation reports.

These reports are titled with the month that corresponds to the related basic state aid report and the date the report was published. The reports will be posted in order with the most recently published report, similar to the BSA-55 and BSA-64 reports.

Please contact the Budget Team ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

Result of efforts of STOP-IT Task Force, partnership with state agencies

PHOENIX – Flanked by representatives from multiple state agencies and members of department’s task force who worked to procure lifesaving Narcan for Arizona schools, state Superintendent Tom Horne today announced more than 16,000 Narcan kits are now available for distribution to school campuses.

Superintendent Horne formed the School Training Overdose Preparedness and Intelligence Taskforce, (STOPIT) in May and it includes representatives from schools, health care, law enforcement and representatives from other state agencies tasked with addressing this growing problem. 

Horne stated, “Lives will be saved because these kits will be in schools throughout Arizona. The STOP-IT Task Force has done incredible work to address the Fentanyl crisis among school-aged children and this is a major step to protecting the lives of students and raising awareness of this terrible scourge.”

The Arizona Department of Health Services procured the Narcan kits at no cost to the state. Staff from the Arizona Department of Education, supported by members of the Arizona National Guard, will deliver the kits to schools, and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is providing training on using the kits.

Horne added, “I want to thank the Department of Health Service, AHCCCS, the Arizona National Guard, and my staff for their efforts to get Narcan to schools throughout the state and train people on its use. I also want to thank the co-chairman of the STOP-IT Task Force, Dr. Holly Geyer, for her tireless commitment to this process. And to every member of the Task Force, thank you as well for your service to doing this meaningful and lifesaving work.”

STOP-IT Co-Chairman Dr. Holly Geyer, Addiction Medicine Specialist at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale said, “The STOP-IT naloxone distribution initiative could not have materialized without the unprecedented collaboration between the Department of Education, the Department of Health, AHCCCS and the National Guard.  The representatives appointed through these agencies proved themselves strategic problem solvers who prioritized the mission and produced outcomes that far exceeded the taskforce’s original targets.  Because of their resolve, we are proud to offer schools more than just naloxone. We can offer confidence in the safety of our school campuses and parental peace of mind.”

Maj. Gen. Kerry Muehlenbeck, Director, Department of Emergency and Military Affairs stated, “The Drug Demand Reduction Outreach team’s logistical support is just one part in a community effort. Reducing drug demand also means tackling drug overdose incidents. Through this multi-agency initiative, we build stronger communities and support wellness in our future generations.”

Kate Dobler, state opioid treatment authority said, "Providing Naloxone in schools is a critical step in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and communities. By bringing together agencies to distribute the initial 16,200 Naloxone kits, we have laid the foundation for an ongoing partnership between the Department of Education and AHCCCS. This collaboration will support the continual replenishment of Naloxone kits, ensuring that our schools remain equipped to handle opioid emergencies. Our collective efforts underscore the importance of proactive measures in safeguarding our youth and fostering a safe educational environment."

Initial orders of Narcan will be distributed to schools in each of Arizona’s 15 counties this week. Each school order includes flyers on training resources, information on county health agency partners, an announcement of the upcoming comprehensive STOP-IT Toolkit release, and a QR code that will take the user to real-time training on Naloxone Resources provided by AHCCCS.

Are you overwhelmed by professional development? Don’t have time for a 90-minute webinar? We got you! Join the ADE/ESS Assistive Technology Team for our fall series, Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT). In these quick 30-minute sessions, we will highlight a single assistive technology tool or strategy you can use to support your students.

Title:              JOT: Book Creator and Wakelet
Date:             Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Time:             11:30 AM-12:00 PM

Description:  Do you ever feel like you’re a content creator? No doubt you have students who need lessons presented in so many different formats: video, audio, ASL, high contrast, large print, highlighted text as you read, and more. Book Creator is a free tool that lets you easily create digital books that integrate all these UDL features! You’ll also learn how to integrate Book Creator and Wakelet to inspire student creativity (and your own) and enhance learning in the classroom. Learn how to combine the interactive storytelling and multimedia features of Book Creator with Wakelet’s curation platform to foster collaboration, personalize learning, and showcase student work.

Register for AT JOT: Book Creator and Wakelet

If you have questions regarding this professional development opportunity, please email [email protected].

Special education leaders, 

Looking for a conference to support the professional learning of paraeducators who work with students with disabilities? 

The National Resource Center for Paraeducators, Related Service Providers, & Interveners (NRCP)  is hosting the 37th National NRCP Virtual Conference on February 21-23, 2025, with an optional Leadership meeting on February 20. This year’s theme is “Paraeducators: Where the Magic Happens!”, and the virtual conference will provide an opportunity for paraeducators, interveners, teachers, administrators, and related service providers (RSPs) to engage with experts, connect with colleagues, share resources, and participate in interactive discussions. 

The conference registration fee is $100 for paraeducators, interveners, education support professionals, family members, and guardians. The conference registration fee is $250 for teachers, administrators, and other educators and policymakers. 

Go to the conference webpage for more information and to register. 

For questions, email Laura Lema.  

District supports Black Lives Matters and other political signage on campus

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne says the Osborn school district in central Phoenix is allowing race and gender politics to distract from academics by displaying signage promoting Black Lives Matter and other politically-charged causes on school grounds.

Horne said, “As Superintendent of Public Instruction my primary focus is helping schools increase academic outcomes, and the Osborn school district is not doing well academically, in part because of needless and provocative distractions.”

He added, “We received a notification on the department’s Empower Hotline from a member of the Osborn community, who is offended by what is going on at that school district. This person sent pictures of a classroom wall that instead of posting academic materials had a big Black Lives Matter poster. They also sent a picture of stickers given to the students with the Osborn logo, surrounded by the colors associated with gender politics. The district provides magnets to attach this to cars, and stickers to students and staff, according to the notification we received on the hotline. There are no posters of brown lives matter, blue lives matter. Where does one stop when one goes down this path?”

Horne cites test scores comparing Osborn to the demographically similar Avondale Elementary district. Avondale has a higher poverty rate based on the number of children getting free and reduced lunches, yet Avondale does significantly higher in academics. 81 percent of Osborn students are not proficient in math, compared to 67 percent in Avondale. In reading, 76 percent of Osborn students are not proficient, while that figure for Avondale is 63 percent.

Horne said, “If districts eliminate the time spent on race and gender politics they will have more time for academics. This will produce higher test scores. I spoke to the Osborn superintendent about this. He said what I was complaining about was designed to make all students feel welcome. The way to do that properly is to teach students to treat each other as individuals without regard to race, sexual orientation, sexual identity, or any such characteristic. It is not to promote identity politics in our public schools. He responded that we would have to agree to disagree.”

He added, “Arizona is a local control state. I do not have authority to order this to stop. We must rely on the parents and taxpayers in the Osborn school district to bring proper values and focus on academics to that school district. I urge them to do this as I do parents throughout Arizona who may observe this kind of needless distraction being promoted by schools.”

​

Horne concluded, “I have been a passionate supporter of civil rights since childhood. I attended the march on Washington in 1963 in which Martin Luther King gave his famous speech arguing that we should be judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin. That has been my philosophy my whole life. Race and gender politics in schools are contrary to this philosophy which should be taught to all students.”

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Education has sent a letter to the State Auditor General updating that agency on measures the Department took in 2023 to implement key internal controls over Empowerment Scholarship Account program functions and processes.

The ADE letter addresses two concerns that arose in 2023, and that were immediately addressed publicly.

A copy of the letter is attached.

Payment 6 will be based on data captured that is passing integrity and generating ADM in AzEDS. There is no option for districts to be paid on prior year data, or for charters to be paid on estimated counts. Data in AzEDS will be used to calculate ADM for Payment 6.

Please ensure data is reconciled and free of integrity errors prior to the data capture date. Review the following reports in AzEDS:

• INTEG15 – ensure data is free and clear of membership ADM Integrity errors
• STUD10 – validate all students are listed in AzEDS
• ADM15 – ensure all students expected to generate funding are indicated as fundable
• ADM20, SPED20, and EL20 – ensure ADM amounts for each ADM type 

Important Note: FY25 Calendars need to be submitted, approved, and certified for ADM and funding to be generated.

FY 2025 Monthly Payment and AzEDS Processing Schedule

If additional assistance is needed, please submit a HelpDesk ticket.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

October 1 Data Collection Phase II Trainings for FY 2025   

Annually, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is required to report special education (SPED) data to the federal government. The October 1 Data Collection (ODC) is part of that process and is required by all Public Education Agencies (PEAs). ODC has three phases:   

1. Child Count Verification and Personnel   

2. Child Count Reconciliation  

3. Child Count Non-Reconciliation (if applicable)   

During Phase II, PEAs must submit and reconcile student-level data for students with disabilities participating in a SPED program over the October 1 child count date through AzEDS. The primary goal of Phase II is to ensure that these students align with the verification count submitted during Phase I.   

ESS Data Management is excited to offer training opportunities to assist with Phase II, including an in-person workshop and a live webinar! Listed below is the schedule for the ODC Phase II training. Please note that registration is required. Click the link on the date that best fits your schedule to register.  

Online Training via Microsoft Teams
Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024, 
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am 

 In-person training Registration required through APLD
Location: 100 N 15th Ave. Phoenix AZ 85007 
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am  

 Please email ESS Data Management with any questions. 

Are you looking for Speech-Language Pathologists or Speech-Language Pathology Assistants?

From December 5–7, 2024, ADE/ESS will staff a recruitment booth on behalf of all of Arizona’s public education agencies at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (AHSA) annual national convention in Seattle, WA. Over 20,000 SLPs and graduate students attend ASHA’s convention each year.

If your PEA would like ESS to promote your speech opening(s) at ASHA, please post them on the ADE job board as soon as possible. Our recruiting materials will direct candidates to speech positions posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board and information about becoming licensed and certified to practice in Arizona.

Post your vacancies today!

To attract candidates to your PEA, consider including information about:

• Caseload size/caseload caps
• Resources provided (subscriptions to SLP Toolkit, The Informed SLP, SLP Now, etc.)
• Paid licensure and certification fees
• Funds for professional development
• Highlights of your city/town/community
• Highlight alternative calendars (4-day week, year-round)

For more information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

BUDG-75 reports for all school districts have been posted to the School Finance website. FY 2024 BUDG-75 reports have been calculated using the FY 2024 BSA55 SRC information.  As a reminder, districts automatically receive a budget balance carryforward adjustment for any under-budgeted RCL in M&O due to the FY 2024 statewide recalculation.

• District BUDG-75 reports are available to download from the School Finance Website. For further instructions on how to navigate the website, please view this Hot Topic.

• District BSA 55 reports are available to download from the School Finance website

Please contact the Budget Team ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

Thank you!