PEEPs and DEI | April 24, 2025

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In today’s newsletter:

🐣 Several preschool programs at Amphitheater Unified School District and Sunnyside Unified School District which are part of PEEPs could be at risk if Tucson decides to cut its funding for them. Read more.

🎒 Arizona schools are being asked to sign a letter saying they aren’t using federal funding for DEI programs by today. But school superintendent Tom Horne says that’s not enough: “If they don’t sign a statement by April 24, they will lose their funding. And if they sign it and don’t mean it, we have a hotline and an investigator,” he said at an event in Marana this week. Read more about it here.

👇 Tucson residents will vote again on a franchise agreement with TEP. More in Flickers.

Featured stories

Tucson proposes cutting low-income preschool support amid budget crunch

Tucson is considering ending financial support for a low-income preschool program amid a dire budget crunch. The cut was put forward in a presentation on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 […]

TUSD votes to sign DEI compliance letter to save federal funding as Horne urges public to report schools

The Tucson Unified School District board voted unanimously last week to comply with a federal letter about diversity, equity and inclusion programs or lose $72 million in federal funding next […]

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Hope in the Park, a resource fair for people experiencing homelessness, will be held Friday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Freedom Park, 5000 E. 29th St. Hosted by Tucson’s Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team and Homeless Connect, the event offers services to unsheltered people, including housing assistance, health screenings, legal aid and more. Read more about it here.

Attend a prescription drug take-back event Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Fry’s Food and Drug, 1795 W. Valencia Road. Bring your expired or unused medication, vitamins, supplements or pet medication. No sharps, creams or liquids. Email lpknc@lpknc.org for more information.

Join BorderLinks on Saturday, April 26 from 5-7 p.m. for a mural unveiling about the connection between organizing in the borderlands and Palestine. Pupusas will be available for purchase. Learn more here.

The 2025 OMA Showcase, featuring Tucson Unified School District dance, music and theater students is May 3 at 3 p.m. at Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avienda Vega. Admission is $5 for adults and students under 18 are free. This year’s theme is “What’s your Superpower?”

Handmade, decorative windsocks will adorn the Santa Cruz River as part of a new art installation from Maxie Adler, a Tucson-based muralist, textile-artist, and printmaker; and Kimi Eisele, a writer, visual artist, choreographer, and folklorist. The pair will launch “Landing Place,” the name of their installation, which goes up from May 3-10. Viewers can see the windsocks from either side of the Santa Cruz River, halfway between Cushing Street and Starr Pass Boulevard.

Tucson City Council voted to put a yet-to-be-written Tucson Electric Power franchise agreement on the ballot for voters this November. In 2023, voters rejected a franchise agreement which would have extended the city’s contract with TEP for an additional 25 years. The current franchise agreement hasn’t been negotiated yet, but the city needs to put it on the ballot now — at least as a placeholder — as legal codes require elections to be announced at least six months before the vote. The language for the agreement must be set by July. Meanwhile, nearly 3,500 Tucson residents have signed a petition to replace TEP with a public utility company.

Pima Animal Care Center’s mobile medical unit, Karen’s Karing Van, will be at the Quincie Douglas Center over the weekend, offering free vaccines, microchips and wellness exams for pets. Services will begin at 9 a.m. and are available each day for up to 250 animals. Additionally, 40 free spay/neuter slots will be offered daily, with check-in beginning at 7 a.m.

Nominate a person or organization making a difference in the Two-Spirit LGBTQ+ community for the 2025 Rainbow Gathering Awards. Categories include: the Dream Catcher Award, for Indigenous people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and have provided a lifetime of service to this community in the Southwest; and the Basket Award, for a person or organizations supporting programs and services for the 2SLGBTQ+ community in the Southwest. Submit nominations here by 4 p.m. on May 9.