They have not overspent. We should be spending more now because we have technology, and we should make sure kids know how to use it. 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. Arizona schools to close for the rest of the school year due to coronavirus Here's what you need to know about why the state came so close to cutting school spending. Doug Ducey, who for months had emphasized personal responsibility over pandemic-related mandates, signed off. 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. As of Dec. 6, she reported, there had been 608 breakthrough COVID-19 deaths in fully vaccinated people in Arizona. 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. Doug Ducey has put Arizonas public schools on notice. We already see it in the number of employers frustrated by the lack of qualified workers. 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. 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.. 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. But its downright galling that this governor continues to fight schools that are trying to protect kids and their teachers by requiring masks or testing or other mandates designed to ensure they can remain open. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. K-12 closings tracker: Schools are sticking to in-person learning as State Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said the amendment was a way to placate Arizonans concerned about high taxes. He said he has sympathy for districts larger than his who face an even greater loss. US schools close again as children's mental health declared national Were not talking about shifting to remote learning. Do students and staff have to quarantine if they are exposed to COVID in schools? The Legislature could and should pass a concurrent resolution before March 1 that will allow districts to exceed the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL). 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. Due to a high number of new Covid cases, Atlanta Public Schools went remote for the first week of the new year, with a . Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Tell your senators and representatives to stop using this latest crisis as a political football to score points against each other. Politics, cell towers and hate speech: Why 3 more superintendents are Florida schools move closer to a 12-month school year. In a statement, Arizona Superintendent Kathy Hoffman said: Legislative leaders have less than one month to prevent Arizonas school districts from facing existential budget cuts. Bullhead City Elementary School District has left open the option of a mask requirement if the COVID-19 situation worsens. 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. Gov. Doug Ducey, there is no plot afoot to close Arizona schools Doug Ducey has put Arizona's public schools on notice. 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. Huge things have changed since 1979 when the AEL was created. All stories must run in their entirety unless otherwise noted or agreed upon after discussion with AZCIR. Itll be scheduled, and I think most people expect that itll be passed by enough to make (the overages) no longer an issue.. 2023-2024 calendars are being added as they become available. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Independent, nonprofit investigative journalism for Arizona. On Aug. 16, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled the ban therefore would not take effect until Sept. 29. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The district provided no in-person classes from March 2020 through the end of the . including Savanna Elementary School District in California and the Chandler Unified School District in Arizona. 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. Getting Back to School | ABC15 Arizona - KNXV Budget documents show that Chandler schools would lose more than $54 million. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. It is adjusted each year to take into account inflation and the number of students who are enrolled. Not because of COVID-19 this time, but because of a perfect storm of problems with our states school funding system. Arizona continues to rank dead last in the nation in per-student investment, according to Education Law Centers. School Districts Shut Down Classrooms Again - Mackinac Center All rights reserved. Different viruses present similar symptoms, Murder, Money and the End of Days: The Lori Vallow story, Lori Vallow trial: Full-length audio files from inside the courtroom, Phoenix officer assaulted by suspect, police say, Milwaukee woman stabbed sister to death amid feud: complaint, Cars parked at Gilbert daycares become target in latest string of break-ins, Shocking details revealed during 'Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow's murder trial: Live updates, Barbie debuts Anna May Wong doll for AAPI Heritage Month, Hair from 'Doomsday mom' found on duct tape wrapped around dead son, Here are tips on how to keep safe around water as summer nears, Some districts are considering to arm teachers amid school shooting epidemic, Arizona district installs weapon detection system in schools. "[State Senator Ken Bennett], the chairman of the Education Committee here in the Senate, will have that legislation to override the AEL for this coming year,". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In a news release, Ducey, alongside . Her position is partially funded by Report for America, a national program that supports local journalists. It allows people to lift themselves out of poverty. Cowboys O-Line Target Steve Avila of TCU Drafted by Rams 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? Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS, is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Some districts maintain their own dashboards online. This limitation excludes charter schools and only applies to district public schools. Published: Feb. 8, 2022 at 5:11 PM PST. What that means immediately is that educators can lose their jobs starting April 1, programs can be canceled starting April 1, and class sizes can expand starting April 1, Garcia said. It reduces the burden on taxpayers and improves the economy for all of us. UArizona ranks 29 among top 100 universities granted US utility patents in 2022. 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. Sinema, who has not said whether she will seek a second term, still had a formidable $10 million in her bank account at . The money is already in the district bank accounts. Arizonas children lost precious years of childhood. 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. However, not all agree with repealing the spending cap. We have two choices: to allow schools to shut down on a technicality, or to usher them into the 21st century so our entire state can thrive. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The issue of the funding cap has nothing to do with COVID-19, masks, or vaccines. Business, finance, policy, compliance, operations. /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. All rights reserved. They also asked the governor to authorize Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, or school vouchers, for all students trapped in those districts. 185.6.9.159 Parents are best suited to make decisions about their childs education. 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. Then work with us to abolish this arbitrary, antiquated policy. Now, if only he would quit fighting schools that enact policies aimed at staying open. 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. 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. Gov. While Duceys threat should play well for him politically especially with those always looking for an angle to expand the states school voucher program I wasnt aware that there was any groundswell of support for closing Arizonas schools. 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. 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. This tracker links to some school districts in the county that have their own dashboards, where they further break down case numbers by school. Maricopa County tracks schools with active and resolved outbreaks in a dashboard, but does not differentiate by school or district. 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. Is there anyone who wants to put them through that again? (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. 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. The 10,000 pupils in the Lansing Public School District are stuck in virtual mode until at least next week. PHOENIX - Governor Doug Ducey announced Monday that Arizona schools will be closed through the end of the school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. 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. Basically, wed have to cut two months worth of operation from our budget starting in March. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. We need to repeal it. Arizona School Calendar 2023. Unvaccinated people were 32times more likely to die from COVID-19 than fully vaccinated people, according to the new Department of Health Services' analysis of data from November. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. At least 25 school districtsas well as several higher education institutionshave implemented broad campus mask requirements, arguing they have a duty to protect their students, staff and communities. All rights reserved. Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. 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. Gov. Ducey announces Arizona schools closed through end of school year Consequently, this list will no longer be updated unless case rates again force a substantial number of schools to close. No schools were reported several weeks in January and February. Updates for Fall 2022. Twenty-six Republican lawmakers have asked Ducey to withhold federal funding from and initiate legal action against any district that ignores the ban. Prop 208 is a voter-approved tax hike on high-earners. 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. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Its time to choose. While Arizona is a leader in providing parents options when it comes to the education of their children - the solution is not as simple as school choice. While these cuts only impact district schools, our public charter schools wont be able to absorb the students that might lose access to their primary district school if these cuts go through and as we know, in many communities the district is the only choice available.. 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. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Arizona's Constitutional Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL) Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs doesnt think the Legislature will act before the March 1 deadline. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts. "Back then in '80, we had schoolbooks and chalkboards and all kinds of things that didn't cost near as much.". All republished content delivered onlinemust have a link to AZCIRand include all of the links in our story. Can we just fund our schools?" Published: 01/12/2022. Judy Schwiebert is a member of the Arizona House, representing District 20 in the West Valley. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. . 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 . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "That would mean laying off two-thirds of the teachers," said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. School Year 2022-2023 | Arizona Department of Education 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.

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