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Save Our Schools Arizona
Weekly Education Report

56th Legislature, 1st General Session
Volume 5, Issue 18 • Week of May 8, 2023

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Budget Bills Drop, Just in Time for Teacher Appreciation Week

With budget attempt #2 dropping on Monday, the same question is on everyone’s minds: will this year’s state budget actually support Arizona educators and students, and finally prioritize public education by capping or rolling back ESA vouchers? Or will Gov. Hobbs and legislative leadership continue to allow unfettered growth of an entitlement program that’s set to bankrupt our schools and our state? 

This Teacher Appreciation Week, we understand that the best way to show appreciation for Arizona teachers is to advocate for our public schools. We are calling upon any lawmaker who supports public schools to reject any budget that fails to stop the unregulated growth of universal ESA vouchers. Please send a letter TODAY telling your lawmakers to vote no on any budget that fails to stop the privatization of public education: bit.ly/ESAcap

On Monday at 1 PM, the House Rules Committee will meet to grant Speaker Toma permission to waive the bill deadline and introduce budget bills. Moments after that, the House will convene on the floor to formally introduce those bills — at which point we’ll have bill numbers and access to the actual content. 

Reports indicate this budget may not have the votes to pass, and from what we know, we support that. Our sources say it contains no plan to roll back or cap the off-the-rails universal ESA vouchers that threaten to bankrupt our schools and our state. It’s important to note that Gov. Hobbs campaigned on doing just that and made the repeal of universal ESA vouchers a centerpiece of her executive budget in January (her first primary act as Governor).

Our expectations for a pro-public education K-12 budget: 

  • A significant growth cap on universal ESA vouchers, which will cost the state over $550 million this school year alone (and growing by the day)
  • A one-year waiver of the AEL school spending cap 
  • A full repeal of Ducey’s backwards, inequitable Results-Based Funding
  • Realistic investments to the K-12 funding formula given Arizona’s lack of ongoing revenues 

Anything less represents an abdication by leadership to work towards the full funding of public education in our state, and moves us closer to the privatization of our public schools. 

Do you find this appalling? So do we! Use our one-click email tool to tell lawmakers on BOTH sides of the aisle that any budget without significant rollback of universal ESA vouchers is unacceptable: bit.ly/ESAcap

Actions You Can Take

The legislature has not addressed these issues, so our actions remain the same. Keeping public pressure on is crucial, so if you already took these actions last week, please do them again.

🌟 Demand a rollback of universal ESA vouchers TODAY with a one-click email at bit.ly/ESAcap

🌟 Contact legislative leadership and ask them to ensure our state budget includes a rollback of universal ESA vouchers: 

– Senate Majority Leader Warren Petersen (R-14) • wpetersen@azleg.gov, 602-926-4136

-Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein (D-12) • mepstein@azleg.gov, 602-926-4870

-House Majority Leader Ben Toma (R-27) • btoma@azleg.gov,  602-926-3298

-House Minority Leader Andrés Cano (D-20) • acano@azleg.gov, 602-926-3027

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Voucher Watch

Anti-public school rhetoric would have you believe Arizona’s students are “fleeing public school en masse” to take universal ESA vouchers. But this simply isn’t the case. 

Despite the passage of universal vouchers in 2022, enrollment at Arizona’s public schools has changed very little from last school year (2021-22) to this one (2022-23): a 2023 ADE report shows just a 0.42% drop in overall enrollment. 

Meanwhile, ESA voucher enrollment continues to rapidly spiral skyward. As of May 5th, 54,566 kids in Arizona are using vouchers. The size of Arizona’s ESA voucher program has now surpassed enrollment at Mesa Public Schools, which until now was the largest district in Arizona for over 30 years. 

A whopping 80% of families applying for newly expanded ESA vouchers were already choosing private school or homeschool. Our state’s decision to subsidize those students via ESA vouchers is not impacting public school enrollment — but it is creating a massive reduction in Arizona’s ability to fund public schools. 

And, with the ESA voucher program now taking applications for the 2023-24 school year, the number of wealthy families receiving these taxpayer-funded coupons will continue to snowball. 

The only “exodus” from public schools is the flood of taxpayer dollars being diverted to universal ESA vouchers. It is impossible to provide our neighborhood schools the resources they need while ESA vouchers are draining half a billion dollars (and growing!), much of it unbudgeted, from public coffers each year.

Use our one-click email tool to tell lawmakers on BOTH sides of the aisle that any budget without significant rollback of universal ESA vouchers is unacceptable: bit.ly/ESAcap

Your voice matters. A simple phone call or email to your lawmaker asking them to prioritize funding for schools and responsible policies for education goes a long way. In order for Arizona to move forward and thrive, these critical discussions need to take place. Find your legislative district here. Email and phone information for your representatives is here and your senator is here.

Upcoming Events!

Upcoming Events!

SOSAZ Community Town Halls

Next up:

5/1 – Flagstaff REGISTER HERE

5/6 – Avondale REGISTER HERE

5/16 – North Phoenix REGISTER HERE

Education Advocacy Mini Sessions

Mondays at 6:30pm 

*5/1 & 5/8 dates have been canceled*

5/15 – Learning to Register Voters

5/22 – Welcome to Team SOSAZ

5/29 – Letters to the Editor: Targeting Your Audience

Bills We're Tracking

Any of the bills marked “ready for floor” could be brought up for a vote with less than one day’s notice. Bills that are “ready for rules” must go through caucus meetings, which usually happen once weekly, before they can be brought to a vote.

We encourage you to scan this section and contact your senator or representatives directly, as applicable, on bills you care about. 

Key: ⚠️= veto-proof bill, 📥= on Gov. Hobbs’ desk, 🗑️ = vetoed

Ballot Referrals:

    • ⚠️SCR1015, Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to require ballot measures to collect signatures from a percentage of voters in each of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts: 10% for initiatives and 15% for a constitutional amendment. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️SCR1024, Wadsack (R-17), asks voters to enshrine racism in the state Constitution. This would negatively impact student learning, teacher retention and teacher recruitment. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️SCR1034, Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to amend the state Constitution to automatically extend the previous year’s state budget if lawmakers don’t pass one in time. This would remove the only structural motivation lawmakers have to work together. SCR1034 awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). See duplicate bill HCR2038, Livingston (R-28). OPPOSE.
  • ⚠️SCR1035, Mesnard (R-13), would mandate automatic 50% income tax cuts if Arizona has a surplus. These are permanent cuts to the state general fund – and desperately needed dollars that could be used to bring funding for K-12 schools out of the bottom 5 nationally. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor (and the ballot). OPPOSE.

Attacks on Teachers & Curriculum:

  • SB1001, Kavanagh (R-3), would ban teachers from using a student’s chosen pronouns without written parental permission. This manufactured, divisive culture-war bill further politicizes teachers and will deepen Arizona’s ongoing teacher retention crisis. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • SB1040, Kavanagh (R-3), would ban trans kids from using the school bathrooms, changing facilities and “sleeping quarters” that align with their gender identities, further politicizing teachers. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • SB1323, Hoffman (R-15), would make it a felony for any public school employee to violate last year’s ban on referring students to or using any so-called “sexually explicit” material, which includes commonly taught literature and even the Bible. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • HB2523, Parker (R-10), would require every K-12 student to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily at district and charter schools. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Passed the full House 2/21 on partisan lines, with Republicans in support. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE. 
  • HB2705, Biasiucci (R-30), would create a training pilot program for district and charter school teachers and staff that qualifies them to carry concealed in schools, and appropriate $10 million from the general fund to run it. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • HB2786, Heap (R-10), would require school boards to notify parents of recommended or funded “training opportunities” for staff. Part of the hunt for nonexistent “critical race theory” in schools. Doesn’t apply to taxpayer-funded private schools taking ESA vouchers. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.

Voucher Expansions:

  • SB1243, Mesnard (R-13), would bolster profit for STO vouchers by rolling them into a single category and increasing the maximum contribution amount. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE. 
  • HB2014, Livingston (R-28), would more than triple over 3 years the amount Arizona spends on a specific type of STO voucher. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • HB2504, Parker (R-10), would expand STO vouchers to students in foster care. Public schools serve the vast majority of foster youth, who are already eligible for ESA vouchers. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.

Attacks on Schools, School Boards, Districts:

  • SB1026, Kavanagh (R-3), threatens school funding by banning “drag shows” for people under 18. Violators would lose state funds for 3 years. Broad enough to include school plays and pep rallies. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE. 
  • SB1331, Shamp (R-29), would allow parents to carry guns on school property with a valid concealed weapons permit, violating federal law. Passed the full Senate 2/21 on partisan lines, with Republicans in support. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • SB1410, Wadsack (R-17), would require public school boards (but not charter schools or ESA-funded voucher schools) to establish the equivalent of Supt. Horne’s “teacher snitch line” for parents to report purported violations of their rights. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • SB1564, Kaiser (R-2), would allow private and ESA voucher students to try out for public school sports. Athletics should be something parents consider when choosing a school for their student. When parents opt out of local schools, they opt out of extracurriculars. Awaits a House floor vote. OPPOSE.
  • SB1596, Mesnard (R-13), would require school district offices to serve as polling places if elections officials ask for it, and require teachers to attend inservice training instead of volunteering at the polls. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1599, Mesnard (R-13), would fine school districts that don’t post teacher salary information as already required by law up to $5,000 per day. Awaits a House floor vote; scheduled 3/20, but retained. OPPOSE. 
  • SB1694, Hoffman (R-15), would ban the state, including public schools, from requiring “diversity, equity, and inclusion programs” for its employees. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1696, Hoffman (R-15), broadly doubles down on a ban on district and charter schools exposing minors to “sexually explicit materials.” Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • HB2539, Pingerelli (R-28), would force the State Board of Education to implement a “public awareness program” to prop up school choice in Arizona, including free, mandatory publicity for taxpayer-funded ESA vouchers. Mired in the concurrence process; after that, awaits transmittal to the governor’s desk (and a likely veto). OPPOSE.

Resources & Accountability:

    • SB1182, Bennett (R-1), would give private, for-profit universities a share of the $20 million in tax dollars that helps fund teacher training programs, decreasing funding meant for Arizona’s three public universities. This is not only privatization, but poor value for tax money. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
    • SB1281, Shamp (R-29), gives state income tax rebates of $200 individual, $400 joint, to anyone who filed a return in 2022. This would drain $936 million from the state General Fund, which would mean massive cuts to K-12 education. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1255, Kern (R-27), would restrict Arizona agency rulemaking and substitute the legislative process instead. This would kneecap the state’s ability to regulate unaccountable, wasteful spending, such as with universal ESA vouchers. Mired in the concurrence process; after that, awaits transmittal to the governor’s desk (and a likely veto). OPPOSE.
  • SB1559, Kaiser (R-2), is a state tax cut for corporations. This would drain money from the state General Fund, spelling cuts to K-12 education. Awaits House Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • SB1577, Mesnard (R-13), would mandate automatic 50% income tax cuts if Arizona has a surplus. These are permanent cuts to the state general fund – and desperately needed dollars that could be used to bring funding for K-12 schools out of the bottom 5 nationally. Awaits House Rules Committee, then the floor. OPPOSE.
  • HB2003, Livingston (R-28), would slash corporate income taxes nearly in half by 2025. Arizona’s tax giveaways already far outpace the entire state budget. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.
  • HB2538, Pingerelli (R-28), would allow live, remote instruction for grades 9-12, with bonuses for passing grades. This would monetize learning, leading to cherry-picking of students and other forms of inequity. Awaits Senate Rules Committee. OPPOSE.

Frustrated by what you see here? Use our one-click email tool to tell lawmakers you want Arizona to focus on real education needs, not bloated boondoggles: bit.ly/prioritizepubliced

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