PHOENIX, Arizona — Arizona will spend $53 million to place armed police officers and mental health workers in schools across the state for the 2027 fiscal year, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced Monday.
The funding, drawn from carryover dollars from previous years, will cover the first 560 schools that request a school resource officer and provide 523 mental health worker positions. Horne said all "first position requests" for officers will be granted in the upcoming fiscal year. The State Board of Education approved the positions on May 18.
"School safety is of the utmost priority, and I am committed to providing armed officers to every school that makes a request," Horne said. "Well-trained, armed officers are the first line of defense if a maniac attempts to get on campus to harm people. We are answering all first position requests for assistance in helping to keep their campuses safe for the upcoming school year."
The School Safety Program originally launched with just 113 funded officer positions. The $53 million allocation represents a major expansion, though continuing the positions beyond fiscal year 2027 will require additional legislative approval. The funding currently relies on one-time carryover dollars rather than ongoing appropriations.
