As school districts across the state push voters to the polls in support of bond measures using less-than-accurate information, a group of Republicans are urging voters to resist. The Arizona Republican Assembly (AzRA) unanimously passed a “Resolution Against all K-12 Override and Bond Proposals” at their statewide Membership Meeting on September 26.
The group, representing ten counties, is at the forefront in the major issues facing Arizona and the Republican Party – including school finance and bond/override elections, ballot harvesting, and closing the election primaries.
The growing group, in its resolution, states that the allocation for education is approaching nearly 60 percent of the State’s revenue and close to 55 percent of that goes to K-12 education.
According to the Auditor General:
Between fiscal years 2001 and 2014, Arizona’s total operational spending per pupil increased 41 percent.
Arizona districts spent lower percentages of available operating dollars on instruction and administration, and higher percentages on all other nonclassroom (sic) areas, particularly plant operations and student support services. (Find your school district here)
In fiscal year 2014, for the second consecutive year, Arizona districts spent 53.8 percent of available operating dollars on instruction—the lowest percentage in the 14 years our Office has been monitoring district spending.
The state-wide percentage decreased every year between fiscal years 2004 and 2013 before remaining flat in fiscal year 2014. Over this same 10-year period, the percentage of resources allocated to administration, plant operations, food service, transportation, student support, and instruction support have all increased.
AzRA has carefully researched education funding and based their decision on data provided by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC). According to the JLBC:
· total 2014 General Fund Revenue was $8.5 billion.
· total 2014 K-12 General Fund monies spent were $4.4 billion.
· total 2014 Community College General Fund monies spent were $63 million.
· total 2014 Universities General Fund monies spent were $719 million.
AzRA is growing every week according to organizers with a projected membership over 1,000 members prior to the start of the legislative session in January.
Resolution regarding AZ K-12 School Financing:
Whereas, total funding to the K-12 district school system is the highest in history, AND
Whereas, the allocation of state appropriations to education is now approaching 60% of all revenues, AND
Whereas, the K-12 district schools are diverting more tax dollars every year away from the classroom, AND
Whereas, most K-12 districts are intentionally lying to the voters regarding revenues and expenditures, AND
Whereas, the students, taxpayers, teachers & legislators are being wrongly victimized by K-12 educrats, AND
Whereas, many seniors on fixed incomes are experiencing grave hardships due to unnecessary tax increases, AND
Whereas, the principles of AzRA and the Republican Party call for smaller, more efficient government, AND
Whereas, we believe that the fabric of the American Tapestry is being destroyed by this outrageous largesse,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Arizona Republican Assembly (AzRA) hereby opposes all K-12 Override and Bond proposals until there is clear and convincing proof that voters are being fully informed of the TOTAL REVENUES received from all sources as well as the specific expenditures – with highlighted expenditure dollars and percentages allocated to the classroom, as defined by the Auditor General – for the affected district, AND
Be it further resolved that the Arizona Republican Assembly (AzRA) hereby opposes any and all plans to increase funding to K-12 district schools until the above issues are addressed & corrected, AND
Be it further resolved that the Arizona Republican Assembly (AzRA) hereby strongly favors zero based budgeting for all layers of government, with special attention to K-12 district schools, AND
Be it finally resolved that the Arizona Republican Assembly (AzRA), having been informed that a special legislative session is being crafted to increase funding to K-12 in response to false statements of the school districts and echoed by the mainstream media, hereby declares that a special session is not warranted for this purpose and further declares that the worst possible source for an unwarranted increase of funding to K-12 district schools would be an increase in taxes of any kind.
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