Another $15 million available
PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne says more funding for armed officers on school campuses is on the way as the Department of Education has identified $15 million in carryover dollars that can be used to pay for additional officers through the School Safety Program.
Under the state’s school safety law, funds that are not expended for officers can also be used for added school counselors and social workers.
Horne said, “One of my biggest fears is that an armed maniac gets on a school campus and causes a devastating tragedy to happen. There has been a notable increase in threats to campuses in Arizona and nationwide, and that makes it more important than ever to do all we can to provide armed officers at schools. I am pleased that our department has identified $15 million in state school safety carryover funds that will be made available as soon as possible.”
The department has asked the state Department of Administration to waive a portion of state law that requires at least six weeks of public notice for grant application requests. Approval of that waiver will allow the Department of Education to expedite the grant process so that schools may apply for an officer beginning on October 21 with awards being granted through the State Board of Education in December, allowing schools to have officers on campus by this coming January.
In a Situational Awareness Bulletin issued this week, the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center reported that it has received 177 school threats from January 1, 2024, to September 3, 2024. From September 4, 2024, to September 24, 2024, the ACTIC has received over 130 school threats. Of those reports, 88 have been shooting threats or weapons in school, 8 have been bomb threats, and 8 have been classified as general threats. The remaining threats have been identified as duplicates or generic threats unrelated to a specific Arizona school.
Investigations have led to at least nine arrests in the last three weeks. Nine threats are currently under investigation, and 38 have been closed, deemed non-credible.
Horne concluded, “These numbers are distressing and show that we absolutely must do everything possible to protect students, educators and staff on school campuses. This added funding is vital to accomplishing that goal.”