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School districts, lawmakers clash over teacher pay
Arizona lawmakers, roundly criticized this year over poorly funded public schools, want to make one thing clear: They’re not the ones responsible for giving teachers raises.
Public education advocates bemoan school money still not enough
It’s hard to argue the budget doesn’t focus on education when much of the new spending focuses on K-12 or university education initiatives. The fiscal year 2018 budget adds $163 million above inflation funding to schools.
A critical year for school choice
The coming year will be a critical time for the school choice movement in Arizona and nationally.
Approve Prop. 123 and then make Arizona’s K-12 system shine
The Grand Canyon Institute agrees with Governor Ducey and the educational community. Prop. 123 needs to be approved by voters on May 17. Prop. 123 is an important start, but restoring funding of legal minimums is not a substitute for substantive discussion on real investments in K-12 education, and how investments can be leveraged to improve outcomes. Arizona’s support for K-12 education has fal[...]
Paperwork filed for K-12 education campaign
The push for Proposition 123 got its official start as the campaign for the May 17 special election filed its paperwork with the Secretary of State’s Office on Thursday.
Eye to eye: Evolution of the school finance deal
A settlement five years in the making was resolved in a matter of about three weeks once both sides in the ongoing K-12 funding lawsuit sat face-to-face for the first time.
Why is Arizona’s K-12 funding so low? ATRA report offers explanations
The influential Arizona Tax Research Association penned a study that attempted to provide context for why Arizona consistently ranks among the worst states when it comes to spending on K-12 education.
Early childhood development leaders fight attempt to raid funds
Board members of a voter-approved organization that funds programs to promote early childhood development are fighting a plan by legislative leaders to raid its dollars to instead increase aid for K-12 education.
Legislative leaders have a plan to get rid of school inflation funding
Republican legislative leaders want to repeal a voter-approved law requiring that lawmakers annually adjust K-12 education funding to account for inflation, arguing that keeping up with the inflation increases year after year is unsustainable.
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.
Ducey Land Department plan expected to bring $2.2 billion for schools
Gov. Doug Ducey wants increase the amount of money K-12 schools receive from sales of state trust land, which he expects to provide an additional $2.2 billion over 10 years without raising taxes or taking money from elsewhere in the general fund.
Authorities forecast big changes to school funding formula
School officials and lawmakers on a panel discussion May 11 predicted the Legislature will soon be making big changes to the funding formula for K-12 education.
