We must acknowledge that there are Arizona schools where excellent teachers inspire students to perform at high achievement levels. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) provides cutting-edge academic standards and teaching strategies. Unfortunately, the overall picture of schools is bleak, and there is no silver bullet remedy to a crisis of neglect by policymakers. However, a bipartisan consensus for sufficient funding that supports a broad-based commitment to strategies for every student is required to break free from a cycle of crisis.

In the September 2024 edition of The Arizona Republic, a Consumer Affairs study found that Arizona schools were ranked at the bottom of all 50 states in all issues of quality in education.

Since the ADE’s initiative to adopt the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) in 2022, participation has expanded exponentially. This statewide funding strategy allows students to use state-funded vouchers to apply to their school of choice. 

Consequently, thousands of students either left public schools or never attended one, using vouchers at charter or private schools. This otherwise positive school choice program reduced the ADE’s funding plan for public schools. Consequently, along with other factors, more than 20 public schools have closed, creating a dire predicament.

According to a 2023 report by the Grand Canyon Institute, the ESA will cost Arizona’s 2024 General Fund $700 million. There is an ongoing controversy over the voucher program and its costs among some elected officials, the governor, and the superintendent of public instruction, all the while Arizona’s children struggle.

Despite the bad news, we can devote our resources to improving reading, children’s most important academic skill. Learners who struggle with reading will not do well in other subjects. In his book, “The Educated Child” (1999), former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett made a resounding statement: “If a child cannot read on grade level (proficient) by the end of the third grade, there is an 80% chance that he will not graduate from high school.”

Scientific, reliable data prove that reading is the primary skill in student success. Most reading assessments, state and national, closely align with other credible measurements. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the gold standard in evaluating academic progress, conducts a bi-annual assessment for every state. Crucial are the subjects of reading and math in 4th and 8th grade. NAEP uses an algorithmic method for randomly selected schools. The most recent NAEP (2024) for Arizona’s average reading score for 4th graders ranked sixth from the bottom of all 50 states in America.

The state’s 2020 legislative mandate requires all certified teachers in grades 1 – 5 to obtain an endorsement. It is a course known as the “Science of Reading.” Other states have adopted the requirement.

The ADE outcomes from reading assessments mirror national test scores and validate state achievement measures. Yet, Arizona public school students lag in the success rates of 44 other states. This failure lies at the feet of decision-makers who appear to be complacent and unwilling to prioritize the education budget, ignoring that future opportunities will be limited for more than an estimated 2 million Arizona children.

The regressive tax laws in Arizona create another stumbling block to better school funding. Low to middle income families pay more property and sales taxes than higher-income families. Students from these lower socioeconomic communities are also at several disadvantages, including a lack of technology in the home, parents who may be unable to assist them, and a community culture that often creates low academic expectations, a precursor to higher dropout rates and low high school graduation rates.

According to the Arizona Department of Revenue (FY 2023), Arizona’s corporate tax rate liability, once 7%, is now only 4.9%. Also, unlike most states, the federal government pays the highest percentage of Arizona’s funding. If federal dollars for education are reduced as expected, Arizona will face the need to increase state and local funding sources.

Parents, teachers, education administrators, state legislators and the public want good schools. It will benefit the state’s economy, businesses and families considering moving to Arizona. Taxpayers must insist that our elected officials do the right thing. The school voucher program should be revisited to seek methods to cap the funds and/or re-align procedures to stop the bleeding.

As the 2025 state budget is developed, preferably in a bipartisan effort, strategies and permanent solutions must be made for the sake of our children.

William David Nichols, Ed.D. has been a teacher, education consultant, author and a school board member in both public and private institutions.