KTAR News 92.3 Reporter Stories

The Arizona Supreme Court declined to review a lawsuit filed by Supt. Horne in 2023 regarding dual-language courses. 

The Peoria Unified School District Governing Board approved moving ahead with a proposal to close Kachina and Pioneer elementary schools due to a $21 million budget shortfall predicted for 2027.

The Arizona Court of Appeals has issued a ruling in a case regarding transgender students’ identity being revealed to parents, sending the case back to the Arizona Superior Court.

The Valley has been busy building all kinds of industrial space as Arizona's economy continues to boom, but has it been too much too fast?

Buyers had more leverage when it comes to the housing market in 2025. Founder of global real estate firm Immobilium, Sasha Poparic, explains he expects this trend to continue in 2026 with more sellers willing to pay closing costs or help buy down the interest rate. 

Arizona ranks 6th in the nation for hiring optimism over the next six months, according to Lending Tree. The top three sectors seeing job growth are health care, financial services and technology. Chief Consumer Finance Analyst Matt Schulz tells KTAR it's welcome news as the job market remains tough nationwide. 

Superintendent Horne says school boards not reflecting their community's politcal views could be a major reason for increasing school closures. 

Three more elementary schools could be closed after this school year in Peoria Unified School District and Gilbert Public Schools.

Arizona teachers make an average of $62,714 a year, $4,000 below the minimum living wage in the state. Some teachers and school staff make even less, which impacts their lives and desire to stay in the classroom.

Mesa Community College students will be able to become Apple IT experts next semester through a new course.

Arizona State University reached a major milestone, with $1 billion for research funding recorded in fiscal year 2024. 

Every year, plenty of people start the new year off on the wrong foot--and maybe fewer fingers. And it's not just the fireworks that are dangerous--it's the drive home too. 

The ESA program allows parents to hire vendors for their children's schooling, including extracurricular activities or tutoring. Here's how the vendor system works.

Arizona’s education system has faced many challenges and changes over 2025, with school closures, budget shortfalls, and voucher argument among the top headlines.  

 Two new education bills will be introduced to the state legislature in January, one focusing on emergency medical response training, and the other on superintendent salary transparency.

It may not snow in the Valley for Christmas, but some Arizona kids sent their holiday spirit all the way to Washington, D.C. this year!

Arizona nonprofit Fresh Start Foundation has been selected as one of the 25 Microsoft TechSpark Fellows in 2026.

The Arizona Education Foundation (AEF) is receiving an $11.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for a statewide literacy development program.

The annual Colorado River Water Users Association Conference in Las Vegas last week brought together water advocates for all seven basin states, as well as stakeholders who rely on that water. There was a push for the basin states to come up with a seven state solution head of the February 14th deadline. 

Arizona’s new legislative session begins Jan. 12, and education will have a large focus in the new year with a reform package set to be introduced.

This month more than 17,000 college students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas from the three Arizona state schools.

Wolf by Lisa Vanderpump has officially opened at Ceasars Republic in Old Town Scottsdale. The British restaurateur and television personality has replicated the globally influenced eatery that originated in Lake Tahoe. The seventh floor rooftop bar boasts views of Camelback Mountain paired with a James Beard nominated chef Jason Franey. 

Time is almost out to take advantage of two Inflation Reduction Act tax credits. The Home Energy Tax Credit allows homeowners to get up to $3,200 back for upgrading HVAC systems, insulation, windows and other improvements that make your home more energy efficient. And the Residential Clean Energy Credit allows homeowners to be reimbursed for solar projects. Both end Dec. 31, 2025. 

Tuesday night, the Kyrene School District governing board unanimously voted to shut down six schools in the district over the next two years. Some parents supported the closures, while others are disappointed in a lack of communication throughout the process.