SE Valley Times

Arizona State Sen. David Farnsworth (R-Mesa) said that the State of Arizona will not provide a "financially bailout" to the financially-collapsed Isaac Elementary School District (IESD) in Phoenix.

"I'm incredibly concerned by what's transpired within the Isaac Elementary School District," said Farnsworth, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee. "My colleagues in both the Senate and House are investigating what led to the tremendous overspending and what legislative reforms we need to adopt to make certain a similar situation doesn't happen in the future."

"What the State of Arizona won't do is provide this school district a financial bailout without implementing any corrective policies," Farnsworth said. "Doing so would only be a Band Aid on the wound and would most certainly do more harm than good."

IESD has been reported to be over $12 million in debt, with some sources indicating the deficit could be as high as $15 million or more. This financial mismanagement led to the district being unable to meet its payroll and other operational costs, reported Fox 10 Phoenix.

Due to the crisis, the Arizona State Board of Education placed the Isaac School District under receivership on January 14, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education has agreed to provide $6 million in federal relief funds to assist with immediate payroll needs. 

The superintendent of the district, Mario Ventura, resigned amid the financial crisis, taking responsibility for the situation. Additionally, there have been calls from educators for the entire school board to resign, reported ABC 15. 

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) has asked for emergency legislation to ensure staff are paid, while Attorney General Kris Mayes (D-Ariz.) asked Maricopa County to continue payments to the district to prevent immediate disruptions.

Members of the Arizona House Majority Leadership sent a letter yesterday to Mayes requesting a criminal investigation into the school district's financial collapse. 

The letter said the leaders were “shocked to learn” that Mayes said she has “no intention of investigating this school district, claiming that there is no evidence of warranting an investigation."

“Your statements defending the school district’s actions strongly suggest that you have already made up your mind without reviewing any facts,” said the letter. “Notably, you have shown no hesitation whatsoever to investigate any potential violations of the law when the bad actors involved are affiliated with Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program.”

Farnsworth has represented Arizona's 10th Legislative District in the State Senate since January 9, 2023. He previously served in the Arizona Senate for District 16 from 2013 to 2021 and in the Arizona House of Representatives for District 4 from 1995 to 1997. Born in Mexico City in 1951, Farnsworth moved to Arizona in 1952. He is a small business owner with experience in real estate, auto sales, and distribution. Farnsworth resides in Mesa, Arizona, with his wife, Robin; they have seven children.