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Barring disaster, school spending limit unlikely to be reached
A spending cap in the K-12 settlement approved by legislators was pounced on by Democratic lawmakers who say the cap will be used in the future to limit spending on schools.
State could have $650 million balance by fiscal 2017, FAC reports
Arizona is on track to collect revenues not seen since before the beginning of the Great Recession, according to a forecast by group of economists advising state policymakers.
Hundreds of millions of dollars later, child safety programs plagued by the same problems
A decade ago, a team of auditors embedded themselves in the agency charged with protecting Arizona’s children and found that some reports of child abuse or neglect weren’t properly investigated. Other cases lacked the relevant information necessary to ensure children’s safety. Ten years, hundreds of millions of dollars and a new agency later, the problems that plague the Department of Child [...]
School groups call for special session on inflation funding
A throng of education groups urged Gov. Doug Ducey today to call a special session to use a budget surplus to settle a nearly $2 billion lawsuit over inflation funding for public schools.
State refinances debt after improved credit rating, will save $33M
Recent upgrades to Arizona’s credit rating allowed the state to refinance some its debt, saving millions in the process.
Maricopa County adopts $2.2 billion budget
Maricopa County has adopted a $2.2 billion budget that includes additional funding for criminal justice and millions in state-mandated cost shifts.
State officials say district-sponsored charter schools have no reason to worry
Several district-sponsored charter schools were in a panic about the possibility that because lawmakers omitted a line in the state budget, they could be on the hook to repay the state millions of dollars of funding from previous years.
Ducey aims to reduce, consolidate state’s 10-plane fleet
Gov. Doug Ducey was unable to reverse the Arizona Department of Transportation’s purchase of a new plane, but is now looking to see where he can pare down the rest of the state’s air fleet.
Burning a hole in their pockets
With the latest JLBC monthly fiscal highlights showing revenues exceeding projections to the tune of $233 million, talk of budget revisions has increased among Republicans in the Legislature. Several Republicans said if the Legislature has to go into a special session for redistricting, or any of the other looming issues that could lead to a special session, they want the governor to include budge[...]
Overall House spending rises 29% under Gowan’s leadership
In the first four months under House Speaker David Gowan’s leadership, the cost of running the chamber has increased 29 percent year-over-year, according to a budget summary provided by the chamber.
Arizona Regents approve university tuition hikes
Most students attending Arizona public universities will see tuition and fee increases between 3 and 4 percent next fall after the Arizona Board of Regents approved the boosts Monday to deal with cuts in state funding.
Not really so bad: Lawmakers say their approach to school funding is misunderstood
Lawmakers made broad claims about education spending this year, from Gov. Doug Ducey’s administration promoting a “classrooms first” theme on social media to frequent boasts of spending more on education than at any time in Arizona’s history.
