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QCUSD bucks state trend for COVID aid spending BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
Q COMMUNITY ......... 13 A shooting star runs through Queen Creek
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2023
ueen Creek Unified School District bucked a trend in Arizona by having already spent nearly three-quarters of its total $19.2 million in COVID relief money, according to a report from the state Auditor General’s office. Most school districts haven’t spent even half their total allotments, the report said,
and that includes the state Department of Education. “Districts and charters reported spending just over $2.2 billion, or 48 percent, of their nearly $4.6 billion allocated relief monies through June 30, 2022,” the report states, adding the Education Department “had yet to spend/distribute almost $322 million, or 79 percent, of its discretionary relief monies as of June 30, 2022.” Districts have until Sept. 30, 2024 to spend
their third round of the largest pandemic funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and 20% of that must address learning loss stemming from the school closures and remote learning that occurred during the pandemic. The report shows that Queen Creek received a total $19.2 million and spent just under $13.3 million, leaving a balance of see
COVID page 4
Horseshoe Park seeing growing SPORTS .................. 20 attendance, impact
Benjamin Franklin Chargers takes girls’ soccer 3A crown.
GETOUT..................22 Get out the kilt next weekend.
COMMUNITY .........................13 BUSINESS................................15 OPINION...................................17 SPORTS......................................20 GET OUT.................................... 22 CLASSIFIEDS............................ 26
BY MARK MORAN Tribune Staff Writer
T
here is not much about Queen Creek that looks like it did a few decades ago. While there is a concerted effort by some groups to preserve the Town’s Old West heritage, Queen Creek is not so slowly giving way to suburbia. But there is one holdover from the vintage Old West days that is not leaving. “We had 12,800 horses through here last year,” said David Solum, general manager of Horseshoe Park Equestrian Centre in Queen Creek, a facility on 38 acres and operated by the town. see
HORSESHOE page 4
David Solum is the general manager of Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Centre and has presided over its growth as one of the region’s most popular agritainment venues. (David Minton/Tribune Staff Photographer)
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