Tucson-area schools continue to figure out how to deal with more than $6 billion in federal education money that was frozen last week.

The Flowing Wells School District begins school in three weeks. Superintendent Kevin Stoltzfus says the greatest challenge of the funding freeze is the lack of clarity and the inability to plan.

In March, the federal funds were approved. Last week, those grants were frozen while the feds analyze how the grants are used. These grants are primarily for vulnerable students and families who need support. In the Flowing Wells District,  21% of residents live below the poverty line.

“The timing is incredibly challenging,” Stoltzfus said. “We’ve issued contracts to employees and are ready to launch programs.”

Arizona school districts stand to lose nearly $120 million, according to the Learning Policy Institute. But every district in the state is in a holding pattern. At Flowing Wells, it’s just under $1 million, Stoltzfus said.

Flowing Wells has about 5,200 students in 11 schools. Three areas of grant funding ( Title II, Title III and Title IV-A programs) include everything from teacher training to help for English language learners and would be covered by an emergency plan that gets Flowing Wells through next school year, Stoltzfus said.

However, withholding 21st Century grants would be devastating for the district, he said. Districts are required to spend these grants in their entirety each year, so no reserve funds exist. The grants cover  before and after-school programs and support between 1,500 to 2,000 students. 

“These programs are safe and engaging for students and provide free after-school care that families appreciate,” he said. “ And our employees value the opportunity to earn additional income.”

At Tucson Unified School District — Southern Arizona’s largest with about 40,000 students — nearly $6 million in grants hang in the balance. 

Late last week, Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Greg Stanton wrote a joint letter, demanding the Department of Education release the grant money.

Pell grant tweaks coming

How students pay for college could be different after passage of the federal domestic spending bill last week.

More than six million college students use Pell grants, including 124,000 Arizona students, whose grants each averaged about $4,500 in the 2022-23 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Pell grants are the main form of federal aid for low-income students and are key because they do not need to be paid back and are generally for undergraduate students. In many cases, they are used for living expenses and not tuition.

The gradual changes in Pell grants include eliminating them as an option for students who already earned full scholarships.

But workforce Pell grants earned broad support from lawmakers and were expanded  — as an alternative to four-year college — allowing people to earn certifications through training from an accredited school and enter the workforce.

Earlier versions of the bill would have eliminated 10% of Pell recipients and reduced the amount of money each student could receive.

“As cost is the No.1 barrier in (getting to college) as told to us by students, we feel pretty good about where Pell grants landed,” Rich Nickel, CEO of Education Forward Arizona said.  The nonprofit includes a focus on the Achieve60AZ college attainment goal, which aims to get 60% of working Arizonans a college degree or trade certification by 2030.

Three things to know about Rep. Nancy Gutierrez

Although she’s stepping off her Tucson High yoga mat, state Rep. Nancy Gutierrez will maintain her personal asana practice.

For the first time in 13 years, Gutierrez will not teach yoga at Tucson High when it begins the school year Aug. 4.

Three things to know about the lawmaker, who earned a breather after the legislative session ended June 30.

She was bawling on TikTok and left her last whiteboard message here. “I cleaned out my classroom. And I am OK right now, but at the end of July when everybody is going back to school, it’s going to hit me and be really painful. I have had lots of students reach out to me and say ‘it’s OK’ and ‘we need you where you are and you’re doing more important things.’ ”

She got her legislative training at Tucson High. “I’m going to miss my teacher besties and my students and just being around teenagers. People think I’m strange, but it’s the best. They keep things so very real and being there for the last 12 years has been the best training for the (Arizona State) Legislature.”

She manifested that teaching job. After teaching elementary school in the 90s, Gutierrez earned her yoga teacher certification from Yoga Oasis in 2013. She knew she could combine her teaching degree with her yoga training, she said. And within a few weeks, she got a call about the Tucson High job — where she was full time until 2023. “I manifested it and I truly believe if I had not (taken that job), I would not be a state lawmaker right now. It reminded me how (poorly) Arizona treats its public school teachers. And, it’s really at the state level that I can hopefully change things.”

Read More …

💵 Records show Education Spending Accounts have $440 million in unused funds for private and homeschooling. 

🏫 Five Bezos Academy tuition-free preschools to open in the Phoenix area.

📊 Checkout a cool breakdown of education-related bills in the recently-signed Arizona state budget.

⬆️ The Vail School District and Amphitheater Public Schools will raise teacher pay slightly.

📚DEI survey: Are you a leader in education? Voice your perspective on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education. A University of Arizona study seeks your input on DEI in the classroom. To participate in the survey: Go here. 

📣 Education news for YOU: If you are connected to the education system — student, parent, teacher, administrator — tell us what’s working, what’s not and what/who matters to you.

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As school year approaches, local districts struggle with ongoing freeze of federal funds and potential loss of programs

by Shannon Conner, AZ Luminaria
July 10, 2025

<h1>As school year approaches, local districts struggle with ongoing freeze of federal funds and potential loss of programs</h1> <p class="byline">by Shannon Conner, AZ Luminaria <br />July 10, 2025</p> <p>Tucson-area schools continue to figure out how to deal with more than $6 billion in federal education money that was frozen last week.</p> <p>The Flowing Wells School District begins school in three weeks. Superintendent Kevin Stoltzfus says the greatest challenge of the funding freeze is the lack of clarity and the inability to plan.</p> <p>In March, the federal funds were approved. Last week, those grants were frozen while the feds analyze how the grants are used. These grants are primarily for vulnerable students and families who need support. In the Flowing Wells District, <a href="https://censusreporter.org/profiles/97000US0403010-flowing-wells-unified-district-az/">&nbsp;21% of residents live below the poverty line</a>.</p> <p>“The timing is incredibly challenging,” Stoltzfus said. “We’ve issued contracts to employees and are ready to launch programs.”</p> <p>Arizona school districts stand to lose nearly $120 million, <a href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/blog/states-face-uncertainty-k-12-funding-remains-unreleased">according to the Learning Policy Institute</a>. But every district in the state is in a holding pattern. At Flowing Wells, it’s just under $1 million, Stoltzfus said.</p> <p>Flowing Wells has about 5,200 students in 11 schools. Three areas of grant funding (<a href="https://www.azed.gov/titlei/sample-page/title-ii-a"> Title II</a>,<a href="https://www.azed.gov/oelas/title-iii"> Title III</a> and<a href="https://www.azed.gov/titleiv-a"> Title IV-A programs</a>) include everything from teacher training to help for English language learners and would be covered by an emergency plan that gets Flowing Wells through next school year, Stoltzfus said.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/KevinStoltzfus-edited.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-37707" style="width:171px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Flowing Wells superintendent Kevin Stoltzfus. Photo Credit: Flowing Wells School District</figcaption></figure> <p>However, withholding 21st Century grants would be devastating for the district, he said. Districts are required to spend these grants in their entirety each year, so no reserve funds exist. The grants cover&nbsp; before and after-school programs and support between 1,500 to 2,000 students.&nbsp;</p> <p>“These programs are safe and engaging for students and provide free after-school care that families appreciate,” he said. “ And our employees value the opportunity to earn additional income.”</p> <p>At Tucson Unified School District — Southern Arizona’s largest with about 40,000 students —<a href="https://azluminaria.org/2025/07/03/tucson-school-funding-trump-pause/"> nearly $6 million in grants hang</a> in the balance.&nbsp;</p> <p>Late last week, Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Greg Stanton wrote a<a href="https://www.kelly.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/1805E5627D1EC966C591FAB1C6370BF26DCD6CE8C54E6A07AD60271BCB2217FC.2025.07.03-letter-to-omb-and-ed-re-funding-freeze.pdf"> joint letter</a>, demanding the Department of Education release the grant money.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Pell grant tweaks coming</h3> <p>How students pay for college could be different after passage of the federal domestic spending bill last week.</p> <p>More than six million college students use Pell grants, including 124,000 Arizona students, whose grants each <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/TrendGenerator/app/build-table/8/36?rid=2&amp;cid=6">averaged about $4,500</a> in the 2022-23 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Pell grants are the main form of federal aid for low-income students and are key because they do not need to be paid back and are generally for undergraduate students. In many cases, they are used for living expenses and not tuition.</p> <p>The gradual changes in Pell grants include eliminating them as an option for students who already earned full scholarships.</p> <p>But workforce Pell grants earned broad support from lawmakers and were expanded&nbsp; — as an alternative to four-year college — allowing people to earn certifications through training from an accredited school and enter the workforce.</p> <p>Earlier versions of the bill would have eliminated 10% of Pell recipients and<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61412"> reduced the amount of money</a> each student could receive.</p> <p>“As cost is the No.1 barrier in (getting to college) as told to us by students, we feel pretty good about where Pell grants landed,” Rich Nickel, CEO of <a href="https://educationforwardarizona.org/">Education Forward Arizona</a> said.&nbsp; The nonprofit includes a focus on the <a href="https://educationforwardarizona.org/progress/az-60-action-plan/">Achieve60AZ</a> college attainment goal, which aims to get 60% of working Arizonans a college degree or trade certification by 2030.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Three things to know about Rep. Nancy Gutierrez</h3> <p>Although she’s stepping off her <a href="https://thms.tusd1.org/">Tucson High</a> yoga mat, state Rep. Nancy Gutierrez will maintain her personal asana practice.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Nancy_Gutierrez.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24822" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">State Rep. Nancy Gutierrez will focus on her time in the Arizona Legislature. Photo credit: Arizona Luminaria</figcaption></figure> <p>For the first time in 13 years, Gutierrez will not teach yoga at Tucson High when it begins the school year Aug. 4.</p> <p>Three things to know about the lawmaker, who earned a breather after the legislative session ended June 30.</p> <p><strong>She was bawling on TikTok and left her last whiteboard message </strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ0FK4-S-zY/"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>.</strong> “I cleaned out my classroom. And I am OK right now, but at the end of July when everybody is going back to school, it’s going to hit me and be really painful. I have had lots of students reach out to me and say ‘it’s OK’ and ‘we need you where you are and you’re doing more important things.’ ”</p> <p><strong>She got her legislative training at Tucson High.</strong> “I’m going to miss my teacher besties and my students and just being around teenagers. People think I’m strange, but it’s the best. They keep things so very real and being there for the last 12 years has been the best training for the (Arizona State) Legislature.”</p> <p><strong>She manifested that teaching job.</strong> After teaching elementary school in the 90s, Gutierrez earned her yoga teacher certification from <a href="https://www.yogaoasis.com/">Yoga Oasis</a> in 2013. She knew she could combine her teaching degree with her yoga training, she said. And within a few weeks, she got a call about the Tucson High job — where she was full time until 2023. “I manifested it and I truly believe if I had not (taken that job), I would not be a state lawmaker right now. It reminded me how (poorly) Arizona treats its public school teachers. And, it’s really at the state level that I can hopefully change things.”</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read More …</h3> <p>💵 <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/education/exclusive-12news-obtains-records-showing-440-million-stockpiled-in-unused-empowerment-scholarship-accounts-that-can-be-used-for-college-arizona/75-fedfccdc-27d0-48ea-a66c-fe2995e687b9">Records show Education Spending Accounts</a> have $440 million in unused funds for private and homeschooling.&nbsp;</p> <p>🏫 Five Bezos Academy tuition-free<a href="https://ktar.com/arizona-education/bezos-academy-preschools/5724272/"> preschools to open</a> in the Phoenix area.</p> <p>📊 Checkout a cool <a href="https://azeducationagenda.substack.com/p/education-law-101?utm_campaign=email-half-post&amp;r=5i7e8i&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email">breakdown of education-related bills</a> in the recently-signed Arizona state budget.</p> <p>⬆️ The Vail School District and Amphitheater Public Schools<a href="https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/070625_budgets_agenda_op/amphi-vusd-set-budgets-with-modest-gains-teacher-salaries/"> will raise teacher pay</a> slightly.</p> <p><strong>📚DEI survey: </strong>Are you a leader in education? Voice your perspective on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education. A University of Arizona study seeks your input on DEI in the classroom. To participate in the survey:<a href="https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6nz52hjQZrTyUdM"> Go here.</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>📣 Education news for YOU: </strong>If you are connected to the education system — student, parent, teacher, administrator — <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WnzYMXBQt7Eu6nS2D5bdtyMb5XADIO3fiyVBbnHSApI/viewform?edit_requested=true">tell us</a> what’s working, what’s not and what/who matters to you.</p> <div class="wp-block-group is-style-border"> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Make your voice heard</h4> <p>Contact a representative</p> <p><a href="https://www.azcleanelections.gov/arizona-election/voter-education-guide/district-locator"><strong>Arizona Congressional District Locator</strong></a></p> <p><strong>U.S. Senators<br /></strong>Sen. Ruben Gallego, Democrat: <a href="https://www.gallego.senate.gov/">Email</a>; 202-224-2512<br />Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat: <a href="https://www.kelly.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/">Email</a>; 202-224-2235</p> <p><strong>U.S. Representatives<br />District 6: Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Green Valley, Vail, Casa Grande</strong><br />Rep. Juan Ciscomani, Republican: <a href="https://ciscomani.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact">Email</a>; 202-225-2542<br /><strong>District 7: Tucson, Nogales, Yuma, Avondale, Tolleson</strong><br />Open seat: 202-225-2435<br /><strong>District 1: Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills</strong><br />Rep. David Schweikert, Republican: <a href="https://schweikert.house.gov/contact/email">Email</a>; 202-225-2190<br /><strong>District 2: Flagstaff, Prescott<br /></strong>Rep. Eli Crane, Republican: <a href="https://crane.house.gov/contact">Email</a>; 202-225-3361<br /><strong>District 3: Phoenix, Glendale<br /></strong>Rep. Yassamin Ansari<strong>, </strong>Democrat: <a href="https://ansari.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email-me">Email</a>; 202-225-4065<br /><strong>District 4 : Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Phoenix<br /></strong>Rep. Greg Stanton, Democrat: <a href="https://stanton.house.gov/email-me">Email</a>; 202-225-9888<br /><strong>District 5: Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Chandler, Mesa<br /></strong>Rep. Andy Biggs, Republican: <a href="https://biggs.house.gov/contact/email">Email</a>; 202-225-2635<br /><strong>District 8: Peoria, Glendale, Phoenix, Sun City, Surprise<br /></strong>Rep. Abe Hamadeh, Republican: <a href="https://hamadeh.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email-me">Email</a>; 202-225-4576<br /><strong>District 9: Kingman, Yuma, Glendale, Buckeye<br /></strong>Rep. Paul Gosar, Republican: <a href="https://gosar.house.gov/contact/default.aspx">Email</a>; 202-225-2315</p> </p></div> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://azluminaria.org/2025/07/10/as-school-year-approaches-local-districts-struggle-with-ongoing-freeze-of-federal-funds-and-potential-loss-of-programs/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://azluminaria.org&quot;&gt;AZ Luminaria&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/cropped-L-square-Primary.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://azluminaria.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=37701&amp;amp;ga4=291628854&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://azluminaria.org/2025/07/10/as-school-year-approaches-local-districts-struggle-with-ongoing-freeze-of-federal-funds-and-potential-loss-of-programs/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/azluminaria.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

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