DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT  

FY27 Statement of Assurances Open for Submission 

The FY27 Statement of Assurances application is open for submission. All public education agencies (PEAs) must submit the IDEA Statement of Assurances (SOA) through the Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Portal within ADEConnect. This is required before any FY27 activities in the ESS Portal are allowable. The portal will block any PEA that has not completed the SOA effective July 1, 2026, which is when FY27 begins. 

The application is now open for submission and closes on June 10, 2026. 

The SOA must be submitted by the Superintendent, Charter Holder, or Special Education Director of your PEA before FY27 IDEA funding applications are approved in the Grants Management Enterprise system. 

• Only a user with the ADEConnect role of “ESS Special Education : Signer” is able to complete the Statement of Assurances
• If the necessary individual does not have the “ESS Special Education : Signer” role associated with their ADEConnect account, an ADEConnect Administrator for your PEA must assign the role of “ESS Special Education : Signer” to the individual who will review, sign, and submit the Statement of Assurances. 

• PEAs that do not apply for IDEA funds are still required to submit the SOA.  

Please log in to ADEConnect, navigate to the Exceptional Student Services Portal, and select the Statement of Assurances link under Surveys & Assurances.

The survey code will auto-populate for your PEA. On each page, select the “Yes” checkbox to indicate your assurances for the corresponding requirements.

After completing the survey, the SOA may be printed for your records. To verify submission, you may re-access the SOA; a “Thank you for submitting” page will display if your submission is complete.

Please direct any questions to [email protected]. 
 

Legislation would require schools to report life-threatening incidents

PHOENIX – State schools superintendent Tom Horne says Democrats who voted against HB 4109, a bill requiring schools to report life-threatening on-campus incidents, are harming the ability of schools to do everything possible to protect the safety and lives of students, educators and staff. 

Horne stated, “It is reckless and irresponsible for these legislators to ignore the reality that school campuses are at risk and need every resource at their disposal to protect lives. School safety is not something to take lightly. It is astonishing to me that every Democrat on the Senate Education Committee voted against this legislation. The bill requires notice to parents and staff within 24 hours of a life-threatening incident on campus. That is a perfectly reasonable requirement that schools should be doing anyway.”

He added, “It is ironic that the bill is sponsored by Democrat Representative Lydia Hernandez. She deserves credit for this effort. I am pleased the bill passed out of committee even with the opposition from members of her own party.”
 

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 spring series, Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT). In these quick 30-minute sessions, we will highlight a single assistive technology tool or strategy that you can use to support your students.   

 Title:                JOT: Classroomscreen 

Presenters:    Laura Wooten-LaFranier, M.Ed., ADE AT Specialist  

Date:               Wednesday, April 22, 2026  

Time:               11:30 AM–12:00 PM  

 Description:    Manage your classroom at the end of the year in a fun and engaging way. Classroomscreen is an online whiteboard website that supports general and special education by providing visual, interactive tools to create structured, predictable environments. Come learn about features that help students follow routines, understand instructions, and discover how to further engage students in interactive activities that build skills and assist communication in this quick, 30-minute JOT (Just One Thing).  

Learn how Classroomscreen provides collaborative options to promote independence and participation. Simple, yet flexible, Classroomscreen enhances individualized instruction, supports IEP goals, and fosters inclusion. It’s an effective resource for teachers, therapists, and assistive technology specialists to deliver engaging, accessible learning experiences. 

Register for AT JOT: Classroomscreen  

If you have questions regarding this professional development opportunity, please email the Assistive Technology team at [email protected].  

In partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program, ADE/ESS is excited to be able to offer scholarships for Arizona youth and their families. Scholarships are available so that youth and young adults with disabilities and/or their family member/personal assistant can attend Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference: Stronger Systems, Better Outcomes—for Every Student. This year’s conference will be held from August 18–20, 2026, with preconference activities on Monday August 17, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort.

Who can apply for a scholarship:

• Youth/young adult between the ages of 14 and 26 who has a documented disability
• Family member of a student with an IEP or 504 Plan
• Caregiver who attends with a student or family member

Scholarships will cover the conference registration fee for each recipient as well as lodging and mileage for eligible recipients.

ADE/ESS also partners with the Arizona Rehabilitation Services Administration/Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program to support registration scholarships for students with disabilities ages 14–22 receiving  Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS).

Additionally, important information is listed in the application. A limited number of scholarships are available. All applications must be completed by May 29, 2026.

Please email the IDEA Conference inbox for questions about this opportunity. 

Download our flyers for more information on the Youth and Family Scholarship.

Revised 4.2.26

BUDG-25 reports for all school districts have been posted to the School Finance website.  FY 2026 March BUDG-25 reports have been calculated using the FY 2026 March BSA-55 information.

• District BUDG-25, BUDG-75, and BSA-55 reports are available to download from this School Finance website. For further instructions on how to navigate the website, please view this Hot Topic.

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

Thank you!

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) provides the following notice regarding the public participation and comment process for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B State Application.

FFY 2026 IDEA Part B State Application

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will apply for federal funding under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The IDEA Part B State Application serves as the basis for the operation and administration of state-level activities carried out to meet the requirements of Part B of the IDEA. 

As required by the public participation provisions set forth in the IDEA Part B regulations at 34 C.F.R. § 300.165 and section 441(b)(7) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232d(b)(7)), ADE must publish the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026 IDEA Part B State Application and provide an opportunity for public comment.

The State Application sets forth Arizona’s assurances that the State will:

1. Ensure that all eligible children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that includes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs;
2. Ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected;
3. Assist public education agencies in providing for the education of all children with disabilities; and
4. Evaluate and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to educate children with disabilities.

Important Note Regarding Funding Information

Arizona has not yet received the FFY 2026 IDEA Part B Allocation Tables from the U.S. Department of Education. Therefore, the FFY 2025 Interactive Spreadsheet is included with the application materials at this time. Once the FFY 2026 allocation information becomes available, ADE will replace the FFY 2025 spreadsheet with an updated FFY 2026 document.

Notice of Public Comment Period

Any individual or organization may submit written comments. The 30-day public comment period for the FFY 2026 IDEA Part B Application will be open from March 19, 2026, through April 18, 2026. ADE will review and consider all comments submitted during the public comment period and revise the application as appropriate.

Methods for Submitting Public Comment

Written comments may be submitted beginning March 19, 2026, using one of the following methods:

• Electronically via the ADE/Exceptional Student Services (ADE/ESS) Public Comment webpage
• Electronically via email to ADE/ESS
• By mail via the United States Postal Service (USPS) to:
  Arizona Department of Education
  1535 West Jefferson Street, Bin #24
  Phoenix, AZ 85007

Click here for the full transcript sent to Ms. Kate Morris, KPNX, Channel 12: Email to Kate Morris KPNX from Superintendent Horne

I have been fighting against allowing boys in these areas which should be only for girls, for as long as it has been an issue. I am in court defending against a lawsuit seeking to permit boys in sports for girls because the Attorney General refuses to do so, even though it is normally her duty to defend against a lawsuit seeking to declare an Arizona statute unconstitutional.

I testified in favor of a proposed statute to ban boys from these areas which should be only for girls, had a Senate hearing and had a dialogue with Senator Miranda. What shocked me was her treatment of a college female athlete who favored the ban. Senator Miranda argued that her own willingness to play against boys made her more competitive than this college student.

From what we have been able to determine, Senator Miranda played in high school but not college. The student athlete was a college athlete in division one.

The newspapers have been full of examples of girls who worked hard at their sports to make the team or maybe get a scholarship or compete for the Olympics but then had to play against a boy with the natural muscular advantages of males, and their dreams were shattered and they were devastated. It is also unsafe. There are many examples of girls injured by transsexuals including one with a brain injury because she was hit so hard in the face with a volleyball by a transsexual with the natural male muscular advantages.

It is hard to understand how Senator Miranda, a woman herself, could defend such things.

Tom Horne
 

About 2% of purchases are unallowable expenses and only 0.3% represent fraud or egregious purchases

PHOENIX – Following some outrageous and reckless news reports of widespread purchasing fraud in Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, ADE is releasing results of a statistical analysis, recently conducted by a Stanford PhD, to set the record straight. 

Superintendent Horne said: 

About 2.0% of dollars spent by ESA account holders is for items that are unallowable under program rules, according to a precise study completed by a Stanford PhD. 

In addition, actual fraud or egregious purchases are at 0.3%, according to the same study.

This is far below the rate of misuse at a variety of programs such as Medicaid (7.4%), food stamps (9.3%), and unemployment insurance (14.4%).

The submission of a purchase that is deemed unallowable does not constitute fraud.  Most are innocent mistakes, such as an error in a form that must be resubmitted, or educational items that are not on the allowable list but that the user could have in good faith believed were permitted. Some examples would be backpacks, lunch boxes and water bottles. 

A ridiculous figure of 20% fraud has been circulating concerning ESA purchases which resulted from a total misinterpretation of data that we provided to Channel 12. The 20% figure represented program participants that ADE had selected for risk-based auditing.  It had nothing to do with fraud.

Action is taken to recover or collect funds or refer to law enforcement, if necessary. To date, more than $1.2 million has been recovered in this process. 

Continued use of the 20% fraud allegation is an outrageous misrepresentation to the public that must stop.”

A summary of information released from ADE’s internal analysis is attached. For more details, go to  /esa-study
 

The Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services, is excited to announce two fantastic opportunities at Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference: Stronger Systems, Better Outcomes—for Every Student, happening August 18–20, 2026, Preconference August 17, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort.  

Nominations for Arizona Secondary Transition Services Awards  

Recognize outstanding contributions to secondary transition services across Arizona. Learn more and nominate a youth/young adult, community member, or educator for their exceptional efforts by submitting an online nomination form.    

Nomination Categories:  

• Youth/Young Adult: Actively engaged and successfully navigating the secondary transition planning process.  

• Community Member: Providing exemplary support for students and/or young adults with disabilities to enhance community-based experiences.  

• Educator: PEA or Secure Care certified staff, support staff, related service providers, or administrators offering remarkable secondary transition services.  

Submit your nominations by Friday, May 8, 2026. Award winners will be notified in June.  

Call for Student Artwork  

Showcase student talent at the IDEA Conference! If you know a student artist interested in displaying his or her artwork, please view the Call for Student Artwork flyer linked below for more details. Please complete the 2026 Student Artwork Entry form before Friday, May 8, 2026, to have artwork considered for display.  

Please email the IDEA Conference inbox for questions regarding these opportunities.  

Download our flyers for more information on the Secondary Transition Services Awards and Call for Student Artwork.