Tom Horne Superintendent | Arizona Department of Education
Department of Finance personnel initiated efforts to address a funding shortfall in education as soon as the state budget was enacted last week. The 2025 fiscal year concluded with an overall education funding gap of nearly $200 million. This deficit resulted from several factors, including a $45 million recalculation of Statewide Average Daily Membership, a $69 million settlement related to the Qasimyar tax lawsuit, Empowerment Scholarship Account expenses that exceeded legislative estimates by $52 million, and a revenue shortfall of $17 million from the Qualifying Tax Rate Levy.
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