KTAR News 92.3 Reporter Stories

SUSD parents are concerned about overcrowding following this week's school closures.

Tuesday night Scottsdale Unified School District voted to shut down Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon schools in 2026.

The Trump administration is at least temporarily withdrawing its plan to cut half of its permanent housing funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care program.

Increased energy demand has created an affordability problem in America. Arizona U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego has a plan to bring down energy costs. It involves a mix of energy sources like renewable, carbon and nuclear. Plus, investing in more storage capacity and transmission to efficiently move energy across the grid.

The Phoenix Union High School District governing board voted to reduce its staff by 6% Thursday night, cutting 167 positions.

On Dec. 9 the SUSD Governing board will vote on closing two district schools. 

The CTE director at one of the nine school districts suing EVIT says if they lose the lawsuit, the CTE programs could be at risk.

The "holiday blues" is temporary sadness around this time of the year brought on by added pressure. Vice President if psychiatric services at Denova Health Jessica Holiday says it's normal to feel stressed out by gift giving, family conflict or grieving a loss. She says to set realistic expectations, focus on meaningful traditions and let go of perfection. 

EVIT is being sued by 9 school districts after the two parties were unable to reach an agreement for a new CTE contract.

Arizona lawmakers disagree on U.S. Education Department dismantling. 

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is threatening legal action against Superintendent Tom Horne related to the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program's risk-based auditing system. 

English language (EL) students make up 10% of a school’s A-F letter grade percentage, and if even one student has a different outcome it could shift the school’s results by a significant amount.

Arizona's post-secondary attainment has grown in past years but is still not high enough to fill the state's 80,000 jobs that require an Associate Degree or higher each year. 

Arizona State University is opening ASU London in Fall 2026. 

The U.S. Department of Education is taking a step towards dismantling, and that will have impacts on Arizona's school system.

The Arizona Board of Regents released a new report showing more than 86% of students across Arizona’s three public universities meet civic education requirements.

For years, patients with heavy calcium buildup in the heart had few options if they needed a heart valve replacement. Dr. Paul Sorajja, with Banner University Medical Center Phoenix was the first-ever to use a specialized "Tendyne" device to treat the condition, and now he's successfully led the study that helped get it approved by the FDA. 

Three weeks out from Scottsdale Unified School District’s governing board vote on whether to close two SUSD schools, parents are still urging the governing board to reconsider. 

Kyrene School District could be shutting down 8 schools in the next two years, with 6 elementary schools and 2 middle schools at risk.  

The Western Governors Association winter meeting happened in Paradise Valley on Thursday. The governors of Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Hawaii talked about solutions to the West's unique challenges. They discussed Colorado River water negotiations, balancing energy production with demand, and state's rights to mineral royalties. 

Last night Kyrene School District held its last publiuc hearing before a Dec. 16th vote that could shut down 7 district schools. 

Grand Canyon University’s Rise 360 scholarship program offers local high school graduates the opportunity to fast track their teaching degree and return to teach in their high schools.

Did Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program reach a billion dollars? Local education advocacy group Save our Schools said it did last week, but according to the Arizona Department of Education data, that may not be accurate.

Fiesta Sports Foundation is handing out $1.5 million dollars as a part of its wishes for teachers program.

Arizona high school seniors are completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form at a faster rate than last year- with 20% of students completing the application just 7 weeks in.