More armed officers heading to Arizona schools as threats spark concern

The Arizona Department of Education is aiming to get more armed school resources officers on campuses starting in January.

DOE announced on Thursday that it will use $15 million in "carryover" funding intended for the "School Safety Program" can be used. However, the department noted in a news release that it is asking the Department of Administration for a waiver in order to allow schools to apply for officers starting on Oct. 21. The goal is for the State Board of Education to then dole out the funds to schools in December, in order for the officers to be on campus starting in the new year.

“One of my biggest fears is that an armed maniac gets on a school campus and causes a devastating tragedy to happen," Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said in a statement. "There has been a notable increase in threats to campuses in Arizona and nationwide, and that makes it more important than ever to do all we can to provide armed officers at schools. I am pleased that our department has identified $15 million in state school safety carryover funds that will be made available as soon as possible.”

Horne's office said this comes at a time where there were nearly 200 threats made to schools this year from January to the start of September, but there were 88 threats related to "shootings" and "weapons" in the last month alone, according to data from the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center.

“These numbers are distressing and show that we absolutely must do everything possible to protect students, educators and staff on school campuses. This added funding is vital to accomplishing that goal," he added.

In 2024, there have been 29 school shootings with casualties so far, according to Education Week. The crux of the debate on school shooting prevention largely centers on ramping up security or the need for greater restrictions on firearms, or some mix of both proposed solutions.