The state Legislature and Arizona school districts will be in court-mediated talks soon over the hundreds of millions of dollars the state was ordered to give schools in back payments.
The two “voluntarily agreed” to participate in the process, which will be mediated by a panel of three Arizona Court of Appeals judges, according to the Arizona Capitol Times. What happens inside those walls will be confidential.
Last summer, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered Arizona to immediately hike public schools’ funding by nearly $317 million a year—this would have cost the state more than $2 billion over the next five years.
The same judge is also considering ordering Arizona to give schools $1.3 billion in back payments in funding the state did not provide since 2009.
The state is currently appealing.
Gov. Doug Ducey mentioned the issue in his budget proposal—$74 million to settle the lawsuit, which is considerably less than what the court ordered.
The state Legislature has continuously argued that it cannot afford the payments and that these would become a burden to taxpayers, but the public schools say the state should be able to figure it out.
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2015.
The one party dicatorship in this State has plenty of money for tax cuts, and tax credits, and give aways to private property leasing to “churches” and special interests and private prisons, while whining, “we have no money.” Cut private prisons $300 million on “we have no money.” Reverse all tax cuts the last three years. I am going to incorporate a church and then lease my home to a “church” so I can pay no taxes either. How about the “church of Sam Walton” so they don’t have to pay taxes either.
If public schools had more money they would waste it just like they have done in the past. They have forced the collapse of many schools in TUSD and the buildings sit there empty. Looks like a slum landlord to me.
I’m tired of funding this nightmare.
This may come as a surprise to many commenters here, but TUSD does not contain every school in the state. There are, in fact, many other school districts in Arizona that are not TUSD. The Arizona Legislature screwed them out of money, as well.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! Is every article of the Constitution up for debate? Just forget about the voters, what a bunch of garbage. Pay up the money you owe, it was the Legislature that took the oath of office. How about going back and redoing their pay and allowances. NOT! If the Legislature can’t find the money to make things right {pun} then redo the tax favors and tax credits they approved when instead of living up to their oath to follow the Constitution they voted those goodies. Oh gosh a few somebodies decided to go to mediation. Should have stopped at the right turn in the first place.
It seems that we wouldn’t have been able to survive without that money. Can you tell us how they made it?
And we are proud of our education system in Arizona? 49th out of 50 states?
Teachers leaving, kids unprepared for jobs or college? Empty schools and for profit schools filling up?
Now really did they make it?
in your example a “for profit” school must be a charter. Right? What does it cost a parent to go to a charter school? Nothing, right?
So if the parents simply wanted an alternative school, let’s say at the same price (free, you would be opposed to it because that school is able to show a profit from their efforts?
Let’s make public schools “for profit” and see if they can compete.
The customer is always #1. Public schools forgot that they were serving consumers. It has gotten them in trouble. Deep trouble.
Do you have the mistaken idea, all “for profit schools” are charter?
Are you also under the false impression public schools, district and charter receive the same allotment of money from state revenues? Or benefit equally under tax credits and gifts?
Are you further thinking charter and district schools have equally equip student clients. I am under the impression charter schools practice a student selection process. I am not at war with private or charter schools, it is troubling that two public school systems operate in the state. One under a publicly elected “school board” and the other privately controlled and in some cases under out-of-state ownership.
Analyze it all you want. It appears TUSD can not compete. All you need to do is look at their real estate divestment plan. They won’t lease to competitors.
What’s the fear?