9 Valley school districts accuse EVIT of keeping funding from career education students

PHOENIX – Nine local school districts are still in an ongoing legal battle with the East Valley Institute of Technology, saying EVIT is trying to change language in their agreement while keeping more than $7 million from students.

EVIT is a public trade school district that has been partnering with 12 local districts on career and technical education (CTE) courses for high school students.

The current dispute is over the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between EVIT and the districts. Three districts signed EVIT’s new IGA after the last one expired last summer, but nine decided to sue in December 2025 after prolonged negotiations failed to produce a deal they would accept.

The districts claim EVIT is holding onto $7.7 million in funding that should have gone to CTE courses at the trade school district’s satellite campuses.

According to the nine districts, without the funding, the CTE programs may not be able to exist much longer, with the programs currently being funded by the districts themselves.

Gilbert Unified School District Superintendent Shane McCord said in a statement the legal battle is taking a toll on the students.

“They should have access to high-quality programs, receive the credit they earn and have funding support the classrooms where instruction is taking place,” he said.

EVIT wants to reduce the amount of funding it contributes to the partnerships, while the districts that filed the lawsuit are seeking more money from the trade school district. In addition, the trade school district wants to see more students complete full programs rather than just take its courses here and there as electives.

EVIT claims the districts will not acknowledge Arizona law, which is why the new IGA has not been agreed upon.

In a statement, EVIT said the nine districts are taking funds from the trade school without accountability. Chad Wilson, the trade school district’s superintendent, said that using funding for the lawsuit is taking that money away from students.

“Any agreement between EVIT and its school districts needs to be handled through direct negotiations with individual districts so we can best serve our students, communities and taxpayers,” he said.

The following districts are involved in the lawsuit:

• Apache Junction Unified School District
• Cave Creek Unified School District
• Chandler Unified School District
• Fountain Hills Unified School District
• Gilbert Unified School District
• Higley Unified School District
• J.O. Combs Unified School District
• Queen Creek Unified School District
• Tempe Union High School District

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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