Arizona’s public schools are facing an impending perfect storm. Last week’s explosive news of the state’s $400 million budget deficit alongside projections of $300 million over-budget ESA vouchers is bad enough. But schools also face the abrupt end to billions in federal relief K-12 dollars next year, as well as a looming Prop 123 cliff. As long as Republican legislative leaders are openly hostile to public schools, the outlook is terrifying.
Predictably, Republican legislative leaders are already deflecting the impending budget crisis, as well as hinting they plan to cut funding to K-12 schools and other state services. Senate President Petersen has already tried to blame the state’s fiscal woes on President Biden rather than face reality. Former Governor Ducey’s irresponsible flat income tax is directly responsible for crippling Arizona’s revenue and his universal voucher expansion is projected to go $300 million over budget. There is no escaping this economic reality; the bills will come due soon.
Petersen has already slammed the door on limits to universal ESA vouchers, denying their negative impact on the state budget: “We will evaluate ways to cut spending to accommodate any budget shortfall, but our school choice program will not be on the chopping block.” Which begs the obvious question: what programs will be cut?
If history serves as any indicator, K-12 public school funding will certainly be one of the first programs to face cuts by this antagonistic legislature.
On Sunday Square Off, Republican strategist Matt Benson predicted cuts to K-12. Benson admitted Ducey’s tax cut “won’t pay for itself” (as Ducey’s economists swore it would), and pointed out the obvious: increased spending and reduced revenues are to blame. As Benson noted, the legislature has “blown through the surplus, the money is gone… this is going to be a challenge.”
Benson then acknowledged, “The first thing that tends to get cut when the budget is facing this kind of challenge is higher ed and K-12.“ He admitted that Arizona “won’t see new money coming into K-12 any time soon,” but glossed over the fact that Arizona’s public schools are funded at 48th in the US and desperately need more, not less, funding.
Simply put: Arizona cannot afford Ducey-era extremist policies that slash revenue to overwhelmingly benefit the rich, from the flat tax to private school vouchers. As Stacy Pearson pointed out, “The Republican legislature didn’t quite calculate how much this runaway, unaccountable ESA spending was going to be, and that is going to be an albatross around their candidacies this cycle… The vast majority of kids are in public district and charter schools. We’re talking about whether [district and charter] kids have dry-erase markers … or whether [voucher recipients] have pool heaters. It’s nuts.”
Arizona’s public schools are facing an impending perfect storm. Last week’s explosive news of the state’s $400 million budget deficit alongside projections of $300 million over-budget ESA vouchers is bad enough. But schools also face the abrupt end to billions in federal relief K-12 dollars next year, as well as a looming Prop 123 cliff. As long as Republican legislative leaders are openly hostile to public schools, the outlook is terrifying.
Predictably, Republican legislative leaders are already deflecting the impending budget crisis, as well as hinting they plan to cut funding to K-12 schools and other state services. Senate President Petersen has already tried to blame the state’s fiscal woes on President Biden rather than face reality. Former Governor Ducey’s irresponsible flat income tax is directly responsible for crippling Arizona’s revenue and his universal voucher expansion is projected to go $300 million over budget. There is no escaping this economic reality; the bills will come due soon.
Petersen has already slammed the door on limits to universal ESA vouchers, denying their negative impact on the state budget: “We will evaluate ways to cut spending to accommodate any budget shortfall, but our school choice program will not be on the chopping block.” Which begs the obvious question: what programs will be cut?
If history serves as any indicator, K-12 public school funding will certainly be one of the first programs to face cuts by this antagonistic legislature.
On Sunday Square Off, Republican strategist Matt Benson predicted cuts to K-12. Benson admitted Ducey’s tax cut “won’t pay for itself” (as Ducey’s economists swore it would), and pointed out the obvious: increased spending and reduced revenues are to blame. As Benson noted, the legislature has “blown through the surplus, the money is gone… this is going to be a challenge.”
Benson then acknowledged, “The first thing that tends to get cut when the budget is facing this kind of challenge is higher ed and K-12.“ He admitted that Arizona “won’t see new money coming into K-12 any time soon,” but glossed over the fact that Arizona’s public schools are funded at 48th in the US and desperately need more, not less, funding.
Simply put: Arizona cannot afford Ducey-era extremist policies that slash revenue to overwhelmingly benefit the rich, from the flat tax to private school vouchers. As Stacy Pearson pointed out, “The Republican legislature didn’t quite calculate how much this runaway, unaccountable ESA spending was going to be, and that is going to be an albatross around their candidacies this cycle… The vast majority of kids are in public district and charter schools. We’re talking about whether [district and charter] kids have dry-erase markers … or whether [voucher recipients] have pool heaters. It’s nuts.”
Thinking About Running for School Board?
Join SOSAZ and a host of pro-public education organizations to get information about what running for school board office entails, and how to get started!
Sunday, October 22 @ 10am – register HERE
Yuma Rural Action Summit – November 4 – Mark “Going” HERE!
Have you signed the AZ Loves Public Schools Pledge yet? Be part of our growing community of public school supporters, sign the pledge and then share with your friends! Also check out our map of Arizona’s public school supporters and help us fill it in!
Don’t forget to join us on social media. Pick your favorite(s) and join us for fun, engaging content!! This is where we post important updates, key news articles, and informative graphics and videos you can’t get anywhere else.
Have you mailed back your Bond and Override ballot with a YES vote for Arizona kids yet? Ballots must be in the mail by the end of the month so don’t delay – it’s spooky to cut it close! To check if there is an election in your school district click here.
With misinformation flying left and right about bond and overrides, we wanted to take a moment to dispel some common myths. Keep reading to separate fact from fiction!
Fiction: “Bond and override funds will just be diverted to the ESA voucher program.”
Fact: Local dollars are in a separate pool of money than state dollars used to fund ESA vouchers. No local dollars go to ESA vouchers.
Fiction: “Passing bonds and overrides will raise property taxes.”
Fact: Most districts are seeking continuations of past bonds and overrides approved by voters, and therefore will not increase taxes.
Fiction: “Districts are sitting on COVID relief dollars and don’t need more funding.”
Fact: The bulk of COVID relief funding expired at the end of September, and districts must spend all of their remaining COVID relief dollars by the end of September next year. Mesa Public Schools, the largest school district in the state, only has $28 million remaining and is on track to disperse all of the funds by the end of the year. Many districts across the state have relied on these additional federal dollars to bolster staff salaries and provide essential mental health services to teachers. Override funds can help districts bridge the gap as federal dollars dry up.
Fiction: “All of the money will just go to administration.”
Fact: According to Arizona’s School Finance Transparency Portal, the vast majority of AZ school districts spend less than 10% of their budget on administrative costs, spending more than 60% directly on classroom instruction. The remaining 30% is used for student support services, transportation, facilities, and building maintenance. Any large enterprise needs effective management and functioning facilities.
For more information on this year’s bond and override Elections, click here. And don’t forget to mail back your ballot with a YES vote for AZ kids as soon as possible — an early return saves campaigns precious resources as they reach out to voters!
“Arizona has been the tip of the spear when it comes to privatization and vouchers – they’ve used us as a petri dish for all their ideas.”
SOSAZ’s Beth Lewis and Nicky Indicavitch joined Mothers for Democracy Institute for a special edition of their Voucher Scam podcast to discuss the evolution of ESA vouchers in Arizona and lessons that public education advocates in other states can use in their fight against school privatization. Don’t miss this powerful conversation! Click here or on the image to the left to listen now.
ICYMI: Wasteful Misspending of ESA Voucher Funds Shocks Arizona
ABC 15’s “Data Guru” Garrett Archer and investigative reporter Melissa Blasius conducted a staggering three-part expose into the rampant misuse of taxpayer funds under the unaccountable ESA voucher program expanded universally last year by former Governor Ducey and the Republican-controlled legislature.
ABC 15’s explosive report provided an in-depth analysis of ESA voucher expenditures for the 2022-23 school year, during which time the irresponsible voucher program diverted $587 million in Arizona taxpayer dollars. They found that Supt. Tom Horne’s Arizona Department of Education is approving unfettered funding for luxury items like ski trips, pianos, and whale-watching excursions. Meanwhile, Arizona’s public schools are funded nearly last in the US, forcing teachers and parents to fundraise for basics like pencils and printer paper.
When questioned about these millions of dollars spent on “educational extras,” Superintendent Horne’s newly appointed ESA Director John Ward admitted that “the vast majority of purchases that are coming through are completely allowable.” Even a $4000 piano for a single family? Director John Ward explained, “These are absolutely allowable. Now, if it was a luxury piano, some type of grand piano, baby grand, we may not approve that as a luxury item.”
So, “luxury” pianos aren’t approved, but what about “luxury” driving lessons in BMWs and Teslas at $800 a pop? According to Ward, “while you may think this may not be a good use of that family’s ESA funding, at the end of the day, they get a fixed amount of money, and if that’s how they’re going to choose to use it, that’s their prerogative.”
An “education program” that is wholly unconcerned with frivolous tax-dollar waste and an exploding community of questionable goods and service providers can only be called one thing: a grift. We call on our state lawmakers to respect Arizona taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars and rein in this mismanaged program that is actively hurting our local public schools.
Click here to read our latest blog for a full rundown of how your tax dollars are being mismanaged by the ESA voucher program.
Check out some incredible pictures and stories from across the state that make us #PublicSchoolProud!
The National Honor Society at Santa Cruz Valley Union High School in Eloy spent the morning working to keep their community clean through the Adopt-A-Street program. But these dedicated students didn’t stop there — they continued their clean-a-thon at their own campus!
Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the Runnin’ Devils Rock Lake Powell Invitational. A special shout out to Symond Martin and Jade Reid from Page High School for taking home two gold medals for their school.
Roosevelt Elementary School in Yuma celebrated the joy of reading with an AVID Family Literacy Night. Students and their families played games, made crafts, pursued the book fair, and learned about community resources available to help young readers.
Thinking About Running for School Board?
Join SOSAZ and a host of pro-public education organizations to get information about what running for school board office entails, and how to get started!
Sunday, October 22 @10am – register HERE
Yuma Rural Action Summit – November 4 – Mark “Going” HERE!
Have you signed the AZ Loves Public Schools Pledge yet? Be part of our growing community of public school supporters, sign the pledge and then share with your friends! Also check out our map of Arizona’s public school supporters and help us fill it in!
Don’t forget to join us on social media. Pick your favorite(s) and join us for fun, engaging content!! This is where we post important updates, key news articles, and informative graphics and videos you can’t get anywhere else.
We’re excited to announce 1000 Strong for Public Education, a Save Our Schools Arizona Network campaign to demonstrate the overwhelming support for public education in communities across Arizona.
We’re asking 1,000 people to make a meaningful financial investment in our work by the beginning of 2024. All fully tax deductible gifts go directly to our largest budget expense — our people, who live and work in the communities they organize. Every dollar helps!
DONATE HERE TO BECOME A CHARTER MEMBER
Thank you for helping us work toward a future where a high-quality, fully-funded public education is available to all Arizona students.
Sign up for a Community Action Team: East Valley, West Valley & North Phoenix, Scottsdale & Paradise Valley, Central & South Phoenix, Northern Arizona, and Southern Arizona! Your local coordinators will help you with using Request to Speak and contacting your lawmakers.
Request an SOSAZ Education Roadshow presentation HERE
Sign up to automatically receive the SOSAZ Legislative Weekly Report HERE
