This is their way of saying no to 208 even though the voters passed it overwhelmingly, she said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A lot of those kids are now back in school, but thats affecting the limit by about $300 million, he said. Do students and staff have to quarantine if they are exposed to COVID in schools? Sinema, who has not said whether she will seek a second term, still had a formidable $10 million in her bank account at . Hannah must make his decision by March 10, after the deadline for the Legislature to override the spending cap, but Hannah said he could not pinpoint when he would rule., There are no ulterior motives, he told The Republic. Mind you we already have a severe teacher and staff shortage at this point, said Margaret Cheney, the president of the Tucson Education Association. Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS, is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Politicians are holding our school districts hostage to try to get their way on two things that arent related, Secretary Hobbs said. It requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers. Gov. Duceys wrong to use the pandemic as an excuse to expand school vouchers. This tracker links to some school districts in the county that have their own dashboards, where they further break down case numbers by school. You must link the words "Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting" to the original URL of the story. I think the Democrats are obviously trying to create the impression that were not going to (override the limit) and schools are going to go over the cliff, when in reality, around here, no ones really talking about that, he said. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Prior to writing for District Administration he worked in daily news all over the country, from the NYC suburbs to the Rocky Mountains, Silicon Valley and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her position is partially funded by Report for America, a national program that supports local journalists. 6 Arizona schools awarded the 2022 National Blue Ribbon School honor. Getting Back to School | ABC15 Arizona - KNXV Madison School . "I think the community is really just frustrated and kind of sick of this because it feels almost like a political football game. 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. /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. Berry said she and fellow financial officers of neighboring school districts dont know where the money from the budgets will go if the Legislature doesnt override the cap. News. Consequently, this list will no longer be updated unless case rates again force a substantial number of schools to close. Find out how your news organization can use Cronkite News content. But in 2018, the Legislature extended Proposition 301, without exempting it. Arizona continues to rank dead last in the nation in per-student investment, according to Education Law Centers. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs doesnt think the Legislature will act before the March 1 deadline. The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report. AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Cowboys O-Line Target Steve Avila of TCU Drafted by Rams Districts based their budgets on money the Legislature already approved. Lets get this straight. Though campuses are closed, the remote . 2023-2024 calendars are being added as they become available. However, he says he is hopeful that a decision will be made relatively soon. There is no other choice but to suspend and repeal the cap.. The 10,000 pupils in the Lansing Public School District are stuck in virtual mode until at least next week. Now, if only he would quit fighting schools that enact policies aimed at staying open. Lane, who is a digital production intern with The Arizona Republic, is working for the Phoenix news bureau. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Nearly 300 schools in the U.S. will remain closed for in-person classes after the winter break in an effort to address growing concerns over the latest COVID surge of . 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.". 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. Some school districts maintain their own dashboards online. Then stop playing politics with our children and follow your own advice. That might mean cuts to labor forces meaning that our staff and teachers will get cut. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. said Lewis. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Close K-3 school Desert Garden Elementary School off 71st Avenue and Ocotillo Road and repurpose the building into a preschool facility. 2023 Cronkite News. As of Dec. 6, she reported, there had been 608 breakthrough COVID-19 deaths in fully vaccinated people in Arizona. A clear picture of school-based COVID-19 outbreaks has so far proven elusive . Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. PHOENIX Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman held her 2022 State of Education address Tuesday afternoon, heavily focusing on the Aggregate Expenditure Limit and the catastrophic impacts it could have on Arizona's education system. This is a lie. All material must be attributed and credited prominently, and where appropriate for the material type throughout. And if schools close because they are not authorized to spend money already sitting in their bank accounts, the blame will lie with you not our public schools, Hoffman wrote to lawmakers in her address. Essigs said some schools, unable to pay teachers and staff members, may have to end the school year early if the limit is not overridden. John Brown expects to graduate in May 2023 with a bachelors degree in journalism and a minor in political science. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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 . Arizona's schools may be forced to shut down as early as April 1 this spring. All rights reserved. Um, no, AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Nearly 300 Schools Will Remain Closed After Winter Break Due to - MSN Performance & security by Cloudflare. 185.6.9.159 All rights reserved. Since students returned to in-person learning in August, districts have reported more than 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and required thousands of students to quarantine. "Back then in '80, we had schoolbooks and chalkboards and all kinds of things that didn't cost near as much.". A democrat from Chandler has introduced a bill to eliminate the cap all together. For more than a decade the Legislatures failure to invest properly in our schools has resulted in such a severe teacher shortage that more than20% of our students dont have a permanent, qualified teacher in their classroom. Basically, wed have to cut two months worth of operation from our budget starting in March. Schools across the country are shutting down again. On CoronavirusNOW.com, you'llfind extensive coverage about COVID-19, including breaking news from around the country, exclusive interviews with health officials, and informative content from a variety of public health resources. Schools will not be able to maintain their current day-to-day operations without action, she said. Superintendent Hoffman explained Flowing Wells and TUSD could lose a combined $63.9 million this school year due to the aggregate expenditure limit during her State of Education address Tuesday. Over the years, lawmakers have voted to override it which hasnt happened yet this year. AZCIR is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, Tax ID #46-1209940. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. In 2022, then-State Senate President Karen Fann said the 1980 law needs to be re-examined. As schools and education advocates are biting their nails waiting for the overrides, Kavanagh said hes pretty confident that the budget will be approved. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The latest Arizona headlines, national news events of the day + sports and weather updates. Gov. Ducey announces Arizona schools closed through end of school year If the Legislature doesnt override the limit, schools will only have a couple of months to cut $1.2 billion.. Arizona school funding cut deadline looms, Legislature yet to act In 2000, when voters approved Proposition 301 to fund education for 20 years, they exempted that money from counting toward the expenditure limit. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Close your doors for even a day and you will . Is there anyone who wants to put them through that again? All rights reserved. In the past, said Chuck Essigs, the director of governmental relations for the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, overriding the limit was a technicality that was resolved quickly however, that wasnt the case this year. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia also marked August 4, 2021 as the first day of the 2021-2022 academic year. The irony is that this spring, school districts are running into something called the aggregate expenditure limit (AEL) that was created more than40 years ago. However, this wont just affect families with school-age children. 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 issue of the funding cap has nothing to do with COVID-19, masks, or vaccines. 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. It allows people to lift themselves out of poverty. Greenlee County, Arizonas smallest, reported its first case, making it subject to Duceys orders for bars and gyms to close and restaurants to offer only takeout service in counties with known cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The biggest threat of widespread school closures comes not from the virus, but a school finance relic from 1980s, she said. With this announcement, we are making sure parents and families have options if a school closes its doors, he said. Chaos and confusion: Back to school turns ugly as Delta rages Nearly 18 months into the pandemic, there's no consensus on how to keep students and staff safe. Updated by the minute, our Dallas Cowboys NFL Tracker: News and views and moves inside The Star and around the league . These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Phoenix, AZ 85007. email: [email protected] Consequently, this list will no longer be updated unless case rates again force a substantial number of schools to close. His Open for Learning Recovery Benefit program offers up to $7,000 that can be used to pay private school tuition for any child whose school closes for even a day of in-person instruction. 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.. (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. 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. All rights reserved. Investing in education ensures we have a pipeline of qualified workers and innovators. School Districts Shut Down Classrooms Again - Mackinac Center 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." Menu. Michael Tubbs, once the youngest mayor of a major American city, to address UArizona graduates at Commencement. "We are hoping it gets through a little faster this year with the governor pushing, because that way, districts are not hanging in this weird limbo, where they dont know if they are going to stay open or not," said Beth Lewis with Save Our Schools Arizona. Listen to public health experts and school leaders. Phase 2, 2022-2023. Reassign students to Challenger or Don . Business, finance, policy, compliance, operations. Politics, cell towers and hate speech: Why 3 more superintendents are Florida schools move closer to a 12-month school year. She is working for the Phoenix news bureau. Superintendent Hoffman is also asking lawmakers to pass a bill that would ultimately repeal the spending cap, avoiding a showdown like this one, again. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. We also need to take the next step, to abolish this arbitrary, antiquated policy. "When this was set in 1980, we didn't have Chrome tablets or whiteboards or any of the stuff that we have now that teaches our kids," State Sen. Fann said at the time. Though some counties and school districts are monitoring outbreaks at the local level, there is no centralized tracking system. Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. The economic estimates commission shall determine and publish prior to May 1 of each year the aggregate expenditure limitation for all school districts for the following fiscal year. Arizona School Calendar 2023 - PublicHolidays.com 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. It does not store any personal data. 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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. These efforts are crucial, and we recognize that schools are making every effort possible to continue providing instruction during closures. Brown has previously interned at MSNBC, NBC 5 Chicago and PBS NewsHour West. Matt Zalaznick is a life-long journalist. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Eighty-five percent of our budget is salary and benefits. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until MON 7:00 PM MST, Western Pima-South Central Pinal-Tohono Oodham Nation, Eastern Pima-Southeastern Pinal-Santa Cruz-Western Cochise, until SUN 5:00 PM MST, Maricopa County, Yuma County, Yuma County, from FRI 11:40 PM MST until TUE 11:30 PM MST, Maricopa County, from MON 9:00 AM MST until MON 11:00 PM MST, Northwest Plateau, Northwest Deserts, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, from SUN 11:59 AM MDT until TUE 12:00 AM MDT, Apache County, until MON 9:00 PM MST, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail. 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 . 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays. Katherine Fung 12/23/2021. "This year, it seems it's turned into a little bit . On Aug. 16, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled the ban therefore would not take effect until Sept. 29. 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. State Sen. T.J. Shope, a Republican, does not support repealing the cap. Or, they will have to close schools altogether by April 1. The money would go towards teacher salaries and schools. by Maria Polletta and Shaena Montanari, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting August 17, 2021, This article first appeared on Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
. A spending limit set 40 years ago doesnt work today. Outbreaks, quarantines and closures in AZ schools - Arizona Center for 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. The restrictions now apply statewide with cases reported in all 15 counties. 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays. "If its not addressed in a permanent manner, we are going to be pretty much sealing our feet from now on be at the bottom of the nation in funding," said David Lujan, a former state lawmaker. How aggressively will the state enforce the ban? Learn more about what we do and how to find our content on our broadcast, digital and social media platforms. Gallego raises more money than Sinema in Arizona Senate race I get the decision out when I get it out., Ducey defends use of school funding in face of feds threat to reclaim it. Its time to work together for the good of our children, families, communityand the future of this great state. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } 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 thats already been approved by the Legislature and budgeted. (Because apparently there would be no other public or charter school option?). And students are still trying to recover from the impact of COVID-induced learning interruptions. Arizonas schools may be forced to shut down as early as April 1 this spring. Arizona public schools once again at risk of massive budget cuts and Schools Are Closing Across the Country Amid COVID Omicron Surge - Today However, not all agree with repealing the spending cap. Closures will still last days to weeks as district leaders cope with staffing shortages and try to stem COVID transmissions. 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. K-12 districts with mask mandates include: Higher education institutions with mask requirements include: Other districts have implemented partial mandates that apply only on school buses, on tribal land or when students and staff cannot implement social distancing. Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia also marked August 4, 2021 as the first day of the 2021-2022 academic year. 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. Katie Hobbs signs house bill to fund Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, American Airlines pilots authorize strike; pickets planned at Phoenix Sky Harbor. Questions? First Name Last Name Email Please indicate your role in your school or district. Were not talking about shifting to remote learning. Arizona public schools concerned over possible $1.2 billion in budget cuts, Tucson marks first 100-degree day of 2023, WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO of officer-involved fatal shooting, Gov. Hoffman said without suspending the aggregate expenditure limit, schools are at risk of further budget cuts, which would ultimately result in more bus driver shortages, more teacher layoffs, and the loss of academic and extracurricular programs, if not the complete closure of some schools. January 7, 2022. Superintendent Kathy Hoffman said a familiar issue is still the most pressing one for education in our state. District Administration. So, districts already have the state-approved money in their bank accounts. Read more at UArizona News. We changed the rules on schools. Creative Commons. Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Arizona superintendent urges lawmakers to act as schools face closure ticking timebomb, Superintendent Hoffman says schools face closure ticking timebomb, Tucson marks first 100-degree day of 2023, WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO of officer-involved fatal shooting, Gov. MAP: Districts operational status across the U.S. 2023. Kids arent dying from COVID-19. Kathy Hoffman stresses threat of budget cuts on AZ schools Arizona School Calendar 2023. In a news release, Ducey, alongside Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, said the extension of the school closures follows updated guidance from the CDC and the extension of social distancing guidelines until the end of April from the White House. That depends; county health departments in Arizona can issue quarantine guidance. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. They also asked the governor to authorize Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, or school vouchers, for all students trapped in those districts. Your IP: Do schools and child care establishments have to report COVID-19 outbreaks to their local health departments? But because of legislative inaction, our districts are facing a school closure ticking timebomb. The cap only affects district public schools; charter schools did not exist in 1980.
