Arizona Legislators Push Money Toward Governor’s Office Of Education And Away From Classrooms

Arizona capitol

Last week, the Arizona Legislature wrote what amounts to a blank check to the State’s three universities while appropriating more money and power to the Governor’s Office and short changed K-12 schools. Through a number of budget items, the Legislature increased the governor’s grasp on education and bought into more unproven gimmicks. For example:

The ASBA reported that legislators appropriated $235,000 for the College Readiness Pilot Program. The program involves students taking one more test to let them know what they and their teachers should already know by the 11th grade; they are college ready or not. However, according to sources, in anticipation of the implementation of Sen. Sylvia Allen’s misguided “Menu of Assessments” bill that will go into effect in two years, the $235,000 will now pay for students to take the ACT and SAT tests.

Legislators also appropriated $200,000 in one-time funding to the Governor’s Office for a computer science initiative, according to the ASBA (Arizona School Board Association). Once again, the Legislature is funding the Governor’s Office rather than the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).

Governor’s Office of Education

The Governor’s Office of Education was established by Governor Doug Ducey in 2015 with a mission to provide meaningful information to the public on Arizona’s education reform efforts and initiatives. With a focus on equity in education, expanding education excellence, and increasing access to quality schools, Arizona will ensure its students are prepared for success in the classroom and beyond, and our classrooms and schools are readily equipped to provide the best education possible.

Since taking office, Governor Doug Ducey has worked to divest the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction of power, while the Governor’s Office of Education, which is geared toward the needs of the chambers of commerce with a goal of increasing the number of charter and private schools. The Legislature seems happy to accommodate his power grab.  They also appropriated $250,000 to the Governor’s Office for a public-private school leadership training
program.

Other than the Empowerment Scholarship Expansion legislation, sponsored by Sen. Debbie Lesko, no other education legislation gained as much opposition as the “Results Based Funding” scheme. Although the Legislators refused to earmark funds for policies proven to increase positive classroom outcomes; such as highly-effective teachers in small classrooms, they were quick to support the “Results Based Funding” scheme.

The ASBA provided an overview of the FY18 budget for schools:

Formula Adjustments

– Adjusts base level, transportation and charter additional assistance by 1.3% for inflation

– Continues District Additional Assistance and Charter School Additional Assistance suspensions for FY 17-18.

– Continues the K-12 rollover of $930.7M.

– Does not include a hold harmless provision for declining enrollment under current year funding. ($31M)

Teacher Pay

– Provides an appropriation for a 1.06% teacher pay increase in FY2018, and intent for an additional 1.06% in FY2019. This appropriation is separate from the base level and is provided based on a district’s total payroll for teachers (salary and ERE) in the current fiscal year. The appropriation will not be adjusted for inflation. ASBA will not consider this to be a permanent pay increase for teachers unless and until it is provided as an increase to the per-student base
level amount.

– Appropriates $34M for teacher salary increases in FY 18 and specifies it is the intent of the Legislature to provide $34M in FY 19.

o Provides a 1.06% salary increase for teachers who taught at a district or charter school in Arizona during SY 16-17 and continues to teach to teach at a district or charter school. SY 17-18.

o Stipulates the 1.06% raise shall supplement not supplant any salary increase from the district or charter.

o Includes funding for the employer share of related costs such as ASRS, or other related employee retirement systems, and FICA.

o Requires governing boards to vote separately on teacher salary increases and ensure that teachers are notified.

o Requires a public hearing notice for the above hearing to be posted on ADEs website and the LEAs website, if applicable.

o Requires governing boards to attest the budget meets these requirements to receive funding.

– Requires LEAs to submit adopted budgets to ADE for the purposes of funding distribution.

Results Based Funding

– Appropriates $37.6M to the results-based funding fund and distributes the monies as follows:

o Schools with less than 60% FRL and in the top 10% of AZMERIT scores statewide receive $225 per pupil. In SY 18-19, schools will receive the additional per pupil funding if they have an A rating based on the new A-F system.

o Schools with greater than 60% FRL and in the top 10% of AZMERIT scores in this category receive $400 per pupil. In SY 18-19, schools will receive the additional per pupil funding if they have an A rating based on the new A-F system.

o Alternative high schools rated A in 2014 receive $400 per student count.

o Stipulates that the majority of these funds be used for teacher salaries, recruitment and professional development.

Early Literacy/All Day K

– Appropriates $8M in FY 18 and $12M in FY 19 to the Early Literacy Grant Program to provide 3 year grants to schools with at least 90% FRPL to improve reading skills, literacy and proficiency of K-3 students. Allowed to be used for full day K or other K-3 literacy programs.

JTEDs

– Continues to fund large JTEDS at 95.5% of the amount they would have otherwise received.

– Appropriates $1M for JTED completion grants.

School Facilities Board/Infrastructure

– Appropriates $64.9 M to SFB for new school facilities.

– Appropriates a total of $33.9M ($16.9M ongoing and $17.2 M additional one-time) to SFB for building renewal grants.

– Appropriates $38M in one time funding for new school facilities approved between March 2, 2016 and March 1, 2017.

– Allows SFB to use up to $200,000 in building renewal grant funds for lead remediation consultant services.

– Reduces the time the SFB has to finally approve an application for new school facilities from six months to five months after receipt of the application.

– Modifies the date that schools must submit new school facilities plans to SFB to July 1 rather than September 1.

– Modifies the date that the SFB must approve projections to December 1 rather than March 1.

– Requires the most recent 40th day ADM to exceed the minimum adequacy guidelines in the current or previous year to qualify for the funding of new space.

– In addition to the $8M from the Corporation Commission, appropriates $3M from the automation projects fund to the Broadband Expansion Fund to provide state matching funds for certified broadband connectivity projects.

o Gives priority to applicants with E Rate discount rate of at least 80%.

Rural schools

– Appropriates $2.6M in onetime funding for rural schools.

o Proportionally distributes based on ADM counts to school districts and charter schools.

o Must be located in a county with a population of less than 500,000

o LEAs that “primarily serve” homeless or special education students qualify regardless of the county they reside in.

College Readiness Pilot Program

– Appropriates $235,000 to the commission for postsecondary education for grants to districts and charters to participate in a pilot program that allows all 11th graders the opportunity to take a nationally recognized college readiness examination.

o Specifies eligibility requirements for the grant and reporting requirements for participating LEAs and the commission.

Executive Initiatives

– Appropriates $100,000 for the Jobs for Arizona Graduates Program.

– Appropriates $200,000 in one-time funding to the Governor’s Office for a computer science initiative.

– Appropriates $250,000 to the Governor’s Office for a public-private school leadership training program.

– Directs the universities to create a teacher academy to provide tuition free bachelor degrees for students who commit to become teachers in Arizona.

ADE

– Appropriates $7.3M to ADE for student data system (AELAS) funding.

– Appropriates $400,000 from the Empowerment Scholarship Fund to ADE for administration of the ESA program.

– Appropriates $100,000 as one time funding for a statewide geographic literacy initiative.

– Appropriates $3.6M to the school safety program that includes $100,000 for the pilot program on school emergency readiness.

– Appropriates $5M to the college credit by examination incentive program and modifies it’s reporting requirements.

– Allows Duncan Unified School District to exceed its budget for critical infrastructure repair without first applying to SFB for funding from the emergency deficiencies correction fund.

– Increases the budget limit for Cave Creek Unified School District by $1.5M in FY 18.

[This article was revised to correct misinformation provided by the ASBA related to testing.]