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Chuck Essigs: Arizona’s school finance guru
Chuck Essigs came to Arizona in 1972 with plans to stay no more than a year to get an advanced degree. He got hooked on the Valley of the Sun, though, and has been helping to shape the state’s school finance formula ever since.
Educators seek to postpone new school funding approach, citing potential chaos
Education groups are pushing for a delay in “current-year funding,” saying a perfect storm is taking shape that could lead to chaos and disorder in the public school system.
Classrooms First Council wants K-12 formula overhaul, but details are scarce
Gov. Doug Ducey’s Classrooms First Council, which is charged with overhauling the formulas used to fund public schools, ended its grand unveiling of its finding with more questions than answers. But its members did agree on several broad priorities, including somehow finding a way to equalize the funding formulas between district and charter schools.
Fiscal hole gets deeper as school inflation case goes on
After efforts to reach a settlement in the K-12 inflation funding lawsuit faltered this month, both sides in the case see it going all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court. But as the case drags on, the fiscal risks mount for the state.
Educators worried about losing money under new funding approach
A provision in the state budget that changes school funding has schools and the Department of Education nervous about its implementation.
Survey says Arizona is dead last in state support for K-12
A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau affirmed public school advocates’ lament that Arizona is near or at the bottom among the states when it to comes K-12 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.
Classrooms first: School officials say rhetoric doesn’t match budget reality
Many school district officials and education leaders say Gov. Doug Ducey’s “Classrooms First” slogan and the oft-repeated boast that Arizona will spend more than ever on K-12 education next year are misleading and don’t reflect how budget cuts will affect schools in 2016.
Auditor general’s report shows need to prioritize classrom spending
The slide in the percentage of education funds that ends up in Arizona classrooms appears to have stopped. But it also isn't getting any better.
Funding the waiting lists: Questions surround Ducey’s promise to get more children into high-performing schools
One of the biggest unanswered questions from Doug Ducey’s gubernatorial campaign is exactly how he will carry out his plan to “fully fund the wait lists” at Arizona’s top-performing charter and district schools.
Educational irony: Douglas to administer $2B in federal grants, though opposed to fed role in education
Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Diane Douglas has expressed her disdain for the federal government’s hand in education, but she’ll be in charge of administering close to $2 billion in federal... […]
Senate president moves to cut money for district charter schools
A threat from Arizona’s Senate president to make sweeping changes to how district-sponsored charter schools are funded came closer to reality March 25 and threatened the passage of a budget in the House.
