Ducey and Hoffman released a joint statement: In alignment with yesterdays updated federal guidance, today we are announcing the extension of school closures through the remainder of the school year. It is adjusted each year to take into account inflation and the number of students who are enrolled. The Education Secretary is encouraging teachers to inform their school leaders in advance whether they intend to take strike action or not, to help schools and families . Photos, graphics and other visual elements are permitted for one-time-use only. According to Education Forward Arizona, the Legislature last overrode the gap in 2007 and 2008. Doug Ducey, who for months had emphasized personal responsibility over pandemic-related mandates, signed off. A spending limit set 40 years ago doesnt work today. Can we just fund our schools?" Robbins announces changes to the future of University of Arizona's medical programs. Mind you we already have a severe teacher and staff shortage at this point, said Margaret Cheney, the president of the Tucson Education Association. (Video by John Brown/Cronkite News) PHOENIX - The clock is running out for state legislators to override a cap on spending that would prohibit Arizona public school districts from disbursing nearly $1.2 billion that's already been approved by the Legislature and budgeted. Get AZCIRs latest investigations and updates delivered straight into your inbox. including Savanna Elementary School District in California and the Chandler Unified School District in Arizona. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Were not talking about shifting to remote learning. Basically, wed have to cut two months worth of operation from our budget starting in March. The 10,000 pupils in the Lansing Public School District are stuck in virtual mode until at least next week. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Independent, nonprofit investigative journalism for Arizona. First Name Last Name Email Please indicate your role in your school or district. Its time to choose. Gov. In-person learning is vital for the development, well-being and educational needs of K-12 students. In June, Arizonas Republican-led Legislature passed a state budget package that included a controversial provision prohibiting school districts from requiring masks. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Shaena Montanari is an investigative reporter for AZCIR focused on covering health disparities. Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic, Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District, Maricopa County Community College District, You must credit us: For bylines, use Author Name, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. At the top of the text of the story, include a line that reads: "This story was originally published by the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting." 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I get the decision out when I get it out., Ducey defends use of school funding in face of feds threat to reclaim it. Some districts maintain their own dashboards online. All rights reserved. News. These cuts translate to $25 million for the Washington Elementary district, $43 million for Phoenix Union, and $58 million for Tucson Unified, just to name a few examples. While the education system was strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic and learning shifts, Hoffman said the biggest threat to schools is far from the virus or its complications. The Sunnyside School District says it will lose more than $16 million dollars in funding. Matt Zalaznick is a life-long journalist. The restrictions now apply statewide with cases reported in all 15 counties. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. This year, it seems its turned into a little bit of a political football field going back and forth, said Marisol Garcia, vice president of Arizona Education Association. Due to a high number of new Covid cases, Atlanta Public Schools went remote for the first week of the new year, with a . Schools across the country are shutting down again. Sadly, some legislators are already playing political games, trying to convince themselves and the public that the problem is because of district over-spending. Budget documents show that Chandler schools would lose more than $54 million. Listen to public health experts and school leaders. How aggressively will the state enforce the ban? It does not store any personal data. The aggregate expenditure limit, passed by voters in 1980, is an amendment to the Arizona Constitution that sets a spending limit for school districts based on total spending of all districts. Were talking closing schools altogether. "This year, it seems it's turned into a little bit . During her State of Education address at the Capitol on Tuesday, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman said if the cap isnt overridden by March 1, public school districts will have to cut 16% of their individual budgets before April 1. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Arizonas children lost precious years of childhood. By: Sheenae Shannon, AEA Communications Director. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Fifty. Essigs said the Legislature projected the limit to decrease because of the decline in enrolled students during the 2020-21 school year because of the pandemic, which would lead to a lower spending limit this year, despite students returning to in-person learning. Failing to act will harm students and families, Hoffman told legislators Tuesday in her address. Updates for Fall 2022. Business, finance, policy, compliance, operations. Taylor Lane expects to graduate in May 2022 with a bachelors degree in journalism. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0c320a4bc898f7 Maricopa County Department of Public Health, for example, recently began requiring students and staff who came in close contact of a known COVID-19 case to quarantine. This technical roadblock means without immediate bipartisan legislative action districts across Arizona will have to eliminate 15% or more of their already approved budgeted expenses this spring. Whatever the case, it means even more stress on already stressed-out students, parentsand teachers. Do schools and child care establishments have to report COVID-19 outbreaks to their local health departments? With your help, AZCIR has set out to provide a more comprehensive, regularly updated picture of where students and staff are contracting COVID-19 across Arizonaand how schools are responding. Creative Commons. Published: Feb. 7, 2022 at 3:20 PM PST. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Legislature has until March 1 to override the spending cap. Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia also marked August 4, 2021 as the first day of the 2021-2022 academic year. Arizona School Calendar 2023. Virtually no one's pressing to close schools, Hurt students for the unvaccinated? Arizonas schools may be forced to shut down as early as April 1 this spring. And Arizonas death rate remains one of highest in the nation, thanks in part to a governor who has used his emergency powers to actually prevent cities and school districtsfrom trying to protect public health. Look at our options. Yet here comes Ducey, acting as if he alone is holding the line against some orchestrated plot by the evil teachers union and liberal school boards to close down Arizonas schools. And students are still trying to recover from the impact of COVID-induced learning interruptions. He's also in a band. It is a Constitutional Amendment that was passed by Arizona voters in 1980 which created a spending limitation for school districts based on the aggregate expenditure of all districts. Phase 2, 2022-2023. Close K-3 school Desert Garden Elementary School off 71st Avenue and Ocotillo Road and repurpose the building into a preschool facility. State Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said the amendment was a way to placate Arizonans concerned about high taxes. Another looks to April 2. "I originally planned to give a different speech today," she said. The school spending cap was enacted as part of a wave of proposed laws the Legislature asked voters to approve to limit taxes and government spending. It would be a disaster for the parents, and I think parents of all ideologies would be resentful of the Legislature not passing something to alleviate that problem.". Maricopa County tracks schools with active and resolved outbreaks in a dashboard, but does not differentiate by school or district. Classes in Chicago Public Schools were canceled for the second day Thursday, the result of an impasse over the teachers union's desire to return to remote . Email covid.edu@azcir.org, or contact AZCIRs reporters: Which school districts have mask mandates in place? Ultimately, on Feb. 21, 2022, lawmakers in the Arizona State Senate voted 23-6 to waive a constitutional spending cap for K-12 school spending, a week after members of the State House voted on the measure. A clear picture of school-based COVID-19 outbreaks has so far proven elusive, given the rapidly evolving situation and the fact that neither the Arizona Department of Health nor the Arizona Department of Education publishes a dashboard of statewide COVID cases in schools. Prop 208 is a voter-approved tax hike on high-earners. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Arizona public schools face budget cuts of $1.2 billion dollars unless the state Legislature lifts the school spending cap by the end of the month. TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Arizona Superintendent Kathy Hoffman is urging lawmakers to lift the school spending cap as public schools are facing nearly $1.2 billion in budget cuts. Look at Mesa Unified School District up in the Phoenix area, theyd have to cut $78 million, or TUSD with $58 million, Marana with about $15 million, Amphi with $14 million, he said. Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Which counties have online dashboards or reports tracking COVID in schools? Doug Ducey has put Arizona's public schools on notice. A clear picture of school-based COVID-19 outbreaks has so far proven elusive . Um, no, AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Interactive Coronavirus case data and map, Coronavirus in Arizona: Latest case numbers, Coronavirus: Symptoms, testing and how to prepare amid growing COVID-19 outbreak, How coronavirus differs from flu: Symptoms to watch for, Is it the flu, a cold or COVID-19? Huge things have changed since 1979 when the AEL was created. We all have to reduce our budgets by April 1 if they dont approve the budget, so at that point, we cant over expand our budget, she said. Pima County tracks cases by school district. USA TODAY. Unless school leaders inform you that the school is closed or cannot provide a place, then you still have a legal duty to send your children to school unless they are unwell. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. You must link the words "Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting" to the original URL of the story. including Savanna Elementary School District in California and the Chandler Unified School District in Arizona. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } As a result, school districts cannot legally spend the money the Legislature already approved months ago as part of the state budget. During the 2021-2022 school year, public schools were staring at 16% across-the-board cuts, and looking at layoffs and school closings, according to education advocates. Your IP: A two-thirds majority of the Legislature is needed to override the cap and allow the $1.2 billion to be spent. The district provided no in-person classes from March 2020 through the end of the . 2023 Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. All rights reserved. The spectacular surge of Omicron cases has left thousands of teachers and students sick, and many others quite logically fear . A lot of those kids are now back in school, but thats affecting the limit by about $300 million, he said. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. PHOENIX - Governor Doug Ducey announced Monday that Arizona schools will be closed through the end of the school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Lana Berry, the chief financial officer of Chandler Unified School District, said schools have the money, they just need the authorization from the Legislature to spend it. Let me be perfectly clear that inaction is not an option, and its appalling that this was not the first issue addressed when the (policy) session started a month ago.. A democrat from Chandler has introduced a bill to eliminate the cap all together. Even so, that will only fix the problem for this spring. Sara Edwards expects to graduate in May 2022 with a masters degree focused on business journalism. In the past, when districts hit the decades-old aggregate expenditure limit, lawmakers voted to override it which hasnt happened this school year. Our number one priority will continue to be health and safety, and we will continue to work closely with public health officials to make the best decisions for kids, families, and our school communities.. Think of the economic impact on our community that comes from laying off thousands of teachers and staff. Its frustrating, he said, because every dollar needed for salaries and to fulfill budgets already has been approved by the Legislature. Garcia said the money returns to the Legislature and gets put back into a savings account and cannot be spent. Brown has previously interned at MSNBC, NBC 5 Chicago and PBS NewsHour West. But we have some legislators who didnt like 208, and theyre still fighting it in court. Learn more about what we do and how to find our content on our broadcast, digital and social media platforms. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The issue of the funding cap has nothing to do with COVID-19, masks, or vaccines. 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays. Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. And as state and local officials argue over the bans merit, COVID-19 continues to spread. */. Yes. Or more specifically, we will pay … for parents to send their kids to private school. Do we ask our people to work for free for the last few months of the year? said Hector Encinas, the CFO for Sunnyside Schools. (Because apparently there would be no other public or charter school option?). Madison School . We should be spending more now because we have technology, and we should make sure kids know how to use it. Work immediately to pass a clean concurrent resolution, without caveats, that allows school districts to exceed the Aggregate Expenditure Limit. So says the governor who has actually foughtschools that enact public health policies aimed at staying open. Then work with us to abolish this arbitrary, antiquated policy. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The aggregate expenditure limitation shall be determined by adjusting the total amount of expenditures of local revenues for all school districts for fiscal year 1979-1980 to reflect the changes in student population in the school districts and the cost of living, and multiplying the result by 1.10. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. But education advocates fear the Legislature isnt taking the cap seriously enough and that the March 1 deadline to approve the override will pass with no action taken, forcing districts to cut their budgets in the final quarter of the school year. This is their way of saying no to 208 even though the voters passed it overwhelmingly, she said. With this announcement, we are making sure parents and families have options if a school closes its doors, he said. I'd like to receive updates & guidance about the 2022-2023 School Year. Lane, who is a digital production intern with The Arizona Republic, is working for the Phoenix news bureau. In a public letter dated Aug. 11, they contended a resounding message must be delivered to any local government or subdivision of the state considering defying state law that lawlessness will not be tolerated.. PHOENIX Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman held her 2022 State of Education address Tuesday afternoon, heavily focusing on the . District Administration. But unvaccinated people, for the most part, choose to remain unprotected, relying on horse dewormer or voodoo or whatever it is they substitute for science. Investing in education ensures we have a pipeline of qualified workers and innovators. Campbell, who was a senior reporter at The State Press, is working for the Phoenix news bureau. Maria Polletta is an investigative reporter for AZCIR focused on covering inequities in education. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Mail it to AZCIR: PO Box 3665, Phoenix, AZ 85030. However, not all agree with repealing the spending cap. It allows people to lift themselves out of poverty. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. One of the political issues at play is Proposition 208, which put a 3.5% tax increase on people with incomes over $250,000 for single tax filers or $500,000 for married filers. For 2023, school district officials say they will be forced to cut their budgets for the current school year by more than $1.3 billion. In central Arizona, the Congress Elementary School District board met Wednesday and reviewed contingency plans. 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