SW Valley Times

Arizona House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-Buckeye) and fellow members of the House Majority Leadership sent a letter to Attorney General Kris Mayes (D-Ariz.) requesting a criminal investigation into the financial collapse of Isaac Elementary School District (IESD) in Phoenix.

“Since taking office, Mayes has shown zero interest in tackling corruption in school districts,” said Carbone. “Instead, she has used her office to attack parents who use Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to seek better opportunities for their children.” 

“This is the same Attorney General who dropped all felony charges against a former Scottsdale Unified Superintendent engaged in a laundry list of fraudulent schemes at multiple school districts,” Carbone said. “Amazingly, Mayes only required the former administrator to pay income taxes on illegal kickbacks the administrator received – a sweetheart settlement for the ages. The students in Isaac deserve better.”

IESD has been reported to be over $12 million in debt, with some sources indicating the deficit could be as high as $15 million or more. This financial mismanagement led to the district being unable to meet its payroll and other operational costs, reported Fox 10 Phoenix.

Due to the crisis, the Arizona State Board of Education placed the Isaac School District under receivership on January 14, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education has agreed to provide $6 million in federal relief funds to assist with immediate payroll needs. 

The superintendent of the district, Mario Ventura, resigned amid the financial crisis, taking responsibility for the situation. Additionally, there have been calls from educators for the entire school board to resign, reported ABC 15. 

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) has asked for emergency legislation to ensure staff are paid, while Mayes asked Maricopa County to continue payments to the district to prevent immediate disruptions.

The letter sent by House GOP leadership to Mayes said the leaders were “shocked to learn” that Mayes said she has “no intention of investigating this school district, claiming that there is no evidence of warranting an investigation.

“Your statements defending the school district’s actions strongly suggest that you have already made up your mind without reviewing any facts,” said the letter. “Notably, you have shown no hesitation whatsoever to investigate any potential violations of the law when the bad actors involved are affiliated with Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program.”

Carbone was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent District 25 in the general election on November 8, 2022. He assumed office on January 9, 2023, and was re-elected in the general election on November 5, 2024.