Arizona Republican legislators proposed a bill this session to bring oversight of the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) closer in line with the Arizona Constitution’s provisions for regular schools. For about 100 years, the ASDB has only faced oversight once every 10 years, instead of the two-year requirement in the Arizona Constitution that applies to schools. The ASDB serves 2,100 students at campuses in Phoenix and Tucson.
State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), who chairs the Senate Government Committee that heard HB 2456, explained during a speech to the Senate Committee of the Whole on April 13 why a shorter extension is necessary. He said the Democrats who oppose the shorter extension want to treat oversight of the children the same way the government treats its oversight of “changing thermostats” infrequently at the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA).
“You know, the School for the Deaf and Blind, serving deaf and blind children in this state with the best possible educational services, is not the same as ADOA and their ability to change thermostats and government buildings and push papers around the state,” he said. “Treating those two things as equals is a disservice to the deaf and blind children that reside within Arizona.”
He added, “This is something where the legislature has the authority all the time when it comes to state agencies to exercise our constitutional obligations for oversight.” Hoffman wants the legislature to have a “hands-on” approach to the school.
“We believe that an eight year is simply too long,” he said. “You know, imagine how much has changed. Look back, members, at how much has changed in the educational environment in the economy, no matter what it is, over the last eight years.”
Senate Republicans are fighting to ensure students and families of the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind receive the best education possible.⁰
On the other hand, Senate Democrats are pushing for inequities within this community by refusing to support the oversight… pic.twitter.com/lnKjX3Pp7N— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) April 13, 2023
The Arizona Constitution places control of the ASDB under the legislature. Article 11, Section 1 (B) states, “The legislature shall also enact such laws as shall provide for the education and care of pupils who are hearing and vision impaired.”
Arizona law sunsets state agencies like ASDB at least once every 10 years, requiring the legislature to pass legislation reauthorizing them for up to 10 years. Without an extension, the school will shut down on July 1. HB 2456, sponsored by State Senator Beverly Pingerelli (R-Peoria), would shrink the authorization period to less than 10 years. The original bill initially shortened the period to eight years and was passed unanimously by the House.
The Senate Government Committee amended it to decrease the period to two years. But facing opposition from Democrats at the decrease, State Senator Ken Bennett (R-Prescott) offered a floor amendment that brought the extension back up to four years.
The last sunset audit of the ASDB raised some concerns. It found four problem areas. First, the audit “identified millions of dollars in capital improvement needs, including buildings that are vacant, underutilized, or that present health and safety concerns, but has not developed a multi-year capital plan, hindering its ability to address these needs in a timely and cost-effective manner.” Secondly, the audit found that ASDB “[d]oes not use a consistent approach to assess its post-school outcomes (PSO) survey data, limiting the exchange of best practices between its campuses to improve transition services for students.”
A third problem found was that the school “[m]ay be collecting more revenue than necessary to administer the Itinerant Services Program.” Finally, the audit stated that ASDB “[d]id not comply with 1 statutory conflict-of-interest requirement and had not fully aligned its conflict-of-interest process with recommended practices.”
State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Mesa) told The Arizona Republic that the Senate heard some “alarming things” about the school.
“Need to make sure the money is being spent wisely and benefitting the kids,” he said.
State Senator David Farnsworth (R-Mesa) provided his reasoning during the Senate meeting for supporting more frequent oversight.
“Government tends to be very inefficient, and I think we are really lacking in oversight,” he said. “These agencies — and I’m speaking more generally now — they tend to become very inefficient as government tends to be, and I feel strongly that the more oversight we give is the best way we can show leadership.”
He went on, “[T]he reason I suggested we change from 10 to eight generally for all is that we are very lazy. In our duties, and when you give an agency 10 years, the tendency is to not think of them again for 10 years. And that’s very unfortunate. And so, by and large, the reduction of yours, in my opinion, is to discipline ourselves that we pay a little more attention to these agencies, all of them and what they are doing, and it’s especially important for someone as important as this school is because what is more important than aiding these citizens that are so handicapped, we have all been blessed being born with great capabilities.”
During the Senate meeting, Senate Minority Leader Denise “Mitzi” Epstein (D-Tempe) said after Hoffman spoke, “Did anybody else notice how hot it got in this room as he was as we listened to the diatribe of how we want to look out for this institution, when in fact, this institution has been in with us as long as our state has been a state?”
Hoffman responded by asserting that Epstein was “impugning” him by referring to him as “spewing hot air” and by labeling his statements a “diatribe.” Legislative rules prohibit members from impugning each other. State Representative Liz Harris (R-Chandler) was expelled from the legislature this month after a House vote found that she had impugned another legislator by allowing testimony that asserted the legislator had executed fraudulent deeds.
The House Freedom Caucus tweeted, “Democrats lying to score cheap political points is normal. Today reached a new low when they tried to exploit deaf & blind children to do it.”
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind” by Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.
