Latest news with #TUSD
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How Arizona's $7,000 school vouchers sparked a crisis in Tucson and a win for Vail school district
In 2022, Arizona became the first state in the US to introduce a universal school voucher program, offering families $7,000 per child to pursue private education, homeschooling, or alternatives to their assigned public schools. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While the policy was framed as a move to empower parents with choice, its ripple effects have been far from uniform. The contrast between Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) and the neighbouring Vail Unified School District (VUSD) reveals how the same policy can produce vastly different outcomes within the public education system. Tucson Unified: Enrolment declines and financial strain Since the implementation of the voucher program, TUSD has lost approximately 4,000 students, many of whom have opted for private or home-based education using state-funded vouchers. According to reports cited by Fox News Digital, this outflow has cost the district an estimated $20 million in funding, severely impacting its operational capacity. As Arizona's school funding is tied to student enrolment, the drop has resulted in budget cuts, staff reductions, and limited ability to offer competitive teacher salaries. TUSD officials have indicated that this funding shortfall makes it harder to attract and retain qualified educators, further compromising classroom quality and student support systems. Beyond the financial strain, academic performance remains a concern. Fox News, referencing state-level data, reported that only 21% of TUSD students passed the state math assessment, a figure well below the state average of 32%. The district also lags in English and science scores, indicating broader systemic challenges. Parent feedback on platforms like also reflects dissatisfaction with issues such as discipline, safety, and the overall learning environment. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now These reputation-based factors may be accelerating the exodus, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of declining enrolment and reduced resources. Vail Unified: Modest growth and relative stability Just southeast of Tucson, the Vail Unified School District (VUSD) presents a different narrative. While not immune to the effects of Arizona's voucher program, VUSD has seen a net increase in enrolment, especially at the K–8 level. Local reports suggest that new housing developments have brought families into the area, while some students have transferred from other districts, possibly including TUSD. This influx has helped offset voucher-related losses, allowing the district to maintain financial stability and educational services. While not all of VUSD's gains can be attributed solely to policy response, its ability to retain and attract families reflects positively on its performance and community engagement. One reform, two realities The differing trajectories of TUSD and VUSD illustrate a larger truth: school choice policies introduce market dynamics into public education, where performance, reputation, and adaptability can determine survival. According to Fox News Digital, education analysts believe districts like Tucson Unified, with longstanding quality issues despite above-average spending, are particularly vulnerable under such reforms. Meanwhile, districts that are perceived as efficient and effective, like Vail, are better positioned to weather the change, or even benefit from it. The voucher system essentially redirects public funds based on family choice, placing pressure on public schools to compete. While proponents argue that this fosters accountability and innovation, critics warn that it may hollow out already struggling districts, worsening inequalities in access to quality education. The national picture: Arizona sets the tone Arizona's experiment is already influencing national education policy. Several other states, including New Hampshire, have followed with similar universal school choice programs. As this trend grows, the Arizona case is increasingly viewed as a test model for the rest of the country. Whether the policy leads to broader educational improvements or deepens divisions between districts may depend on how effectively public schools adapt, and whether state support accounts for the unequal playing field many now face. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us .
Axios
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Early voting begins in special election to replace Raúl Grijalva
Early voting begins Wednesday in the primary to replace longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died in March. The big picture: Five candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District, which spans southern Arizona from Tucson to Yuma and into the southwestern Phoenix area. Why it matters: The race gives Arizona Democrats their first opportunity to vote since President Trump began his second term. Grijalva held the seat for 22 years. The district is overwhelmingly blue, so the Democratic primary winner could serve for decades. State of play: Deja Foxx, Adelita Grijalva, Patrick Harris Sr., Daniel Hernandez and Jose Malvido are on the Democratic ballot. The race initially appeared like a two-way contest between Grijalva and Hernandez, but Foxx has gained traction over the past two months. Daniel Butierez, Jorge Rivas and Jimmy Rodriguez are seeking the Republican nomination. Meet the candidates: Adelita Grijalva is widely viewed as the frontrunner. She's a political fixture in Tuscon, after 20 years on the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) board and four years on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. She's also Raúl Grijalva's daughter. She touts herself as a progressive and boasts big-name endorsements, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Daniel Hernandez is a former state representative and former Sunnyside Unified School District board member. He previously ran in the neighboring 6th District and had a reputation as a moderate who worked with the Republican majority. He rose to prominence as an intern for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, famously helping her after the 2011 shooting. Deja Foxx, 25, is an activist and social media strategist. She began organizing at 16, pushing for updates to TUSD's sex-ed policy, and went viral for confronting then-Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake over voting to defund Planned Parenthood. Between the lines: Grijalva said there's a "progressive vs. moderate" dynamic between her and Hernandez, telling Axios: "A lot of people in this community want to continue to have a strong, progressive voice that they can count on." She said she shares her father's values but "stands on [her] own two feet." Hernandez said he built a strong legislative record despite GOP control. He rejects the moderate label, telling Axios: "I work on guns, gays and abortion." Foxx describes herself as the race's change candidate and says she wants to show Democrats that "young disruptors are winners." She says she's energizing young voters who might otherwise sit out.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First Digital to 'Pursue Legal Action' Over Justin Sun Allegations as FDUSD Drops
FDUSD, the stablecoin issued by Hong Kong-based First Digital, has wobbled from its $1 price peg as investor concerns mounted over its reserves, though the company said Wednesday that it was "completely solvent." FDUSD has dropped to 0.87 against Tether's USDT stablecoin and 0.76 against Circle's USDC on Binance, the main exchange where FDUSD is listed. Notably, bitcoin (BTC) also nearly hit 100,000 against FDUSD. The token has stabilized around $0.98-$0.96 later, still trading below its supposed price anchor. The sudden price action happened as CoinDesk earlier Wednesday reported that some of the TrueUSD stablecoin's reserve assets were stuck in illiquid investments, according to filings. Tron founder Justin Sun bailed out the issuer company. First Digital Trust, a trust company affiliated to First Digital, was appointed to manage TUSD reserves. "First Digital Trust (FDT) is effectively insolvent and unable to fulfill client fund redemptions. I strongly recommend that users take immediate action to secure their assets," Tron founder Justin Sun claimed in a Wednesday X post. First Digital refuted the allegations in an X post, saying that "First Digital is completely solvent" and "every dollar backing FDUSD is completely, secure, safe and accounted for with US backed T-Bills." "This is a typical Justin Sun smear campaign to try to attack a competitor to his business. As we told the reporter at CoinDesk, we have not yet had the opportunity to defend ourselves and instead of letting the TUSD matter be dealt with in court, Justin has instead resorted to a coordinated social media effort to try to damage FDUSD as a business competitor," the company said. "FDT will pursue legal action to protect its rights and reputation." FDUSD's latest monthly reserve report showed that the $2 billion of reserve assets were held mostly in U.S. Treasury bills and a lesser part in repo facilities and fixed deposits. Stablecoin analytics firm Bluechip told CoinDesk it gave FDUSD a C grade (on a scale from F as least safe to to A+ being safest) and expressed concerns over reserve assets being bankruptcy remote from the issuer company. "FDUSD appears to be backed by reasonably sound reserves. But we concluded that in case of bankruptcy, the reserves could be used to pay off the parent company's debt," Garett Jones, Bluechip's chief economist, said in a message. "It's hard to predict what would really happen in a crisis, but safer stablecoins do exist." UPDATE (Apr. 2, 17:58): Added analyst comment from Bluechip. Updated FDUSD price action.
