State auditors are sounding the alarm on Arizona school finances, flagging a growing list of districts that are running out of room to maneuver. The latest review puts nine districts in the highest financial risk category and another nine on the edge of it, a sharp jump that lands squarely on several Phoenix-area systems now weighing closures, hiring freezes and other cost cuts. Parents, staff and taxpayers are watching to see whether local boards can cut fast enough to avoid deeper state intervention.
According to a report by the Arizona Auditor General, the January 23 analysis looked at 207 districts and identified nine at the highest financial risk and nine more approaching that category. The office noted that the number of highest risk districts rose sharply from last year and reported that eight of the nine in that top tier developed written financial risk action plans, while Wilson Elementary did not.
Maricopa County is carrying a heavy share of the strain. FOX 10 Phoenix reports that Isaac and Wilson elementary districts are among those in the highest risk group, while Balsz, Fountain Hills and Scottsdale are listed as approaching the highest risk category. The local tally underscores how enrollment losses and depleted reserves are hitting both urban and suburban systems in the Valley…