Arizona House Republicans told students, parents, and teachers of the Isaac School District in West Phoenix “help is on the way,” in response to the devastating consequences they have faced due to the school district’s failed leadership.
On Monday, not only did House leadership call on Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to immediately open a criminal investigation into the mismanagement and potential corruption that led to the district’s fiscal catastrophic woes, but legislation was introduced to keep kids in their classrooms.
The District’s superintendent resigned last week after it was discovered that the District’s budget was found to have a negative balance in the millions. Now, emergency legislation sponsored by Representative Matt Gress will provide the District with $2.5 million dollars and fire all school board members.
“Our sympathies begin and end with the students, faculty, and parents of Isaac,” said Speaker @SteveMontenegro. “At the heart of this crisis are more than 4,800 students and hundreds of employees who have been abandoned by failed district leadership. The falsification of financial records and the mismanagement of public funds are a betrayal of trust and must be investigated immediately. The people of Arizona deserve to know how this happened, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
At a recent State Board of Education meeting, the Department of Education revealed that the district falsified its 2023-2024 Annual Financial Record, altering records to show a positive cash balance despite being millions of dollars in debt. This fraud follows years of warnings from the Arizona Auditor General, who identified Isaac as a high-risk district since at least 2020.
House Republicans are mindful of Attorney General Mayes’ history of inaction on educational fraud. “Since taking office, Mayes has shown zero interest in tackling corruption in school districts,” Majority Leader @MichaelCarbone said.
“Instead, she has used her office to attack parents who use Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to seek better opportunities for their children,” continued Carbone. “This is the same Attorney General who dropped all felony charges against a former Scottsdale Unified Superintendent engaged in a laundry list of fraudulent schemes at multiple school districts. Amazingly, Mayes only required the former administrator to pay income taxes on illegal kickbacks the administrator received – a sweetheart settlement for the ages. The students in Isaac deserve better.”
Republican leadership says that given Mayes’ comments on a local Sunday television show, where she claimed not to currently see grounds for criminal charges in Isaac, the House is also requesting that Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell investigate the case. “If the Attorney General is unwilling to act, we will turn to the County Attorney to ensure justice is served for the students and taxpayers,” Montenegro added.
“We cannot allow Isaac’s leadership to escape accountability while families in this district pay the price,” said Majority Whip @JWilloughbyAZ. “House Republicans are actively evaluating ways to ensure the district’s students finish the school year, but we will not let taxpayers bail out bad actors without significant and meaningful reforms. One thing is certain though: funding for Isaac is not the problem. The district’s total funding is among the highest in the state at $19,372 per pupil, 23 percent higher than peers, according to the Auditor General.”
“These kids are victims of an incompetently run government school system,” said Speaker Pro Tempore @NealCarterAZ. “House Republicans are the party of open schools, and we will step in to ensure that these schools will remain open for the students.”
“This disaster proves yet again why Arizona families must have options beyond failing government-run districts,” Montenegro argued. “School choice empowers parents and ensures no family is trapped in a system plagued by corruption and incompetence.”
“We are going to do what is right and help these kids finish the school year without leaving Arizona families to foot the bill for someone else’s failure,” Carbone concluded. “There will be accountability, and there will be reform.”