Arizona commits to school safety

By Stacy Mantle
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Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has pledged to maintain armed law enforcement on all school campuses currently staffed, even if federal funding is paused.

The move comes as parents statewide spend record amounts on student safety gear, creating a dual landscape of government protection and personal investment.

“School safety is not negotiable,” Horne said in a July 17 statement. “We must ensure that if an armed maniac attacks a campus, there is a trained law enforcement officer on site to respond.”

Since taking office, Horne has increased the number of armed officers on Arizona campuses from 190 to 572, with most funded through the state’s School Safety Program. 

According to the Arizona Department of Education, the School Safety Program provides about $82 million annually, with roughly $45 million funding counselors and social workers and the remainder supporting armed officers. The program currently supports 818 schools across 14 counties through a competitive application process that prioritizes demonstrated need and safety plans.

Schools that do not apply or are not prioritized — such as Phoenix Union, which opted out of a recent grant round — are not included in the program. A small number, however, are supported by federal grants now under review by the U.S. Department of Education.

Other schools continue to use existing state and federal funds to support its current officers. Tolleson Union High School District, for example, uses both state and federal grants to fund its school resource and security officers, said Joseph Ortiz, the district’s marketing director. He described the district’s strategy as “comprehensive,” combining armed presence with prevention-focused measures.

The challenge for federal grants is a review is being conducted at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget. In January 2025, OMB ordered agencies to pause new grant disbursements while they reviewed whether existing awards aligned with executive policy priorities.

As part of that review, the Arizona Department of Education notified districts on July 2 that certain Title IV grants — including those supporting a small number of school officer positions — had been paused after federal award notifications were delayed on July 1. State officials emphasized this is not a state or legislative audit but part of a nationwide federal assessment.

Horne said the state will cover any resulting shortfall, adding, “There is enough state money to make sure these positions are funded and no campus that already has an officer on site will lose that position.” 

The Arizona Department of Education clarified only eight or nine schools rely entirely on federal Title IV funds, totaling roughly $70,000 — an amount the state says it can cover. As of the 2024-25 school year, the SSP funds over 818 schools across 14 counties, supporting counselors, social workers, school resource officers, juvenile probation officers and school safety officers.

Rep. Matt Gress, R–Phoenix, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee and sponsored House Bill 2074 to expand access to school resource officers, supported Horne’s decision. “We spend over $82 million a year on personnel to keep campuses safe,” Gress said in a July 21 telephone interview. “The state is the largest funder in this space. That comes with the responsibility to prevent harm.”

State data show about $45 million of that goes to counselor and social worker positions, with the remainder funding armed officers.

Gress noted even with additional funding, the number of trained officers remains limited, which is why the law allows schools to use state grants for social workers or security officers to take on the task.

“Every department is stretched,” he said. “Even if we could fund an SRO in every school, there aren’t enough trained officers to go around. This is why it's important to have trained SSOs as well.”

He also stressed the importance of school-level emergency planning.

“Our review showed that not a single school in the state satisfied all components of their required emergency operations plans,” Gress said. “That’s not acceptable and we’ll be following up to ensure compliance.”

While Gress said families should have the freedom to invest in personal safety gear if it brings peace of mind, he added school-wide safety plans should take precedence.

“If something bad happens, we need kids alert and listening to school personnel,” he said. “Cell phones can be a dangerous distraction during a lockdown, which is why we passed legislation to require schools to develop policies that limit their use during the day.”

Ortiz agreed the availability of state and federal dollars supports local planning but flexibility would allow districts to allocate funds to other needs, such as counselors or safety technology, once officer positions are filled.

Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, D–Tucson, a former educator and ranking member of the House Education Committee, took issue with Horne’s approach.

“I find it quite concerning that Mr. Horne is seemingly taking the local control of school boards away,” she said in a July 21 email. “Having armed law enforcement on school grounds is not always the best educational choice, and that decision belongs in the hands of the school board, the families that attend, the teachers and administration.”

Gutierrez also questioned the funding source for Horne’s pledge.

“I’m interested to discover how the millions of dollars will be added to the budget,” she said. “Public schools ensure that all students receive a quality education, but I do not believe that Horne’s administration will be the best one to ensure equity for all.”

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.