Feb. 11, 2022. Gov. 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. With this announcement, we are making sure parents and families have options if a school closes its doors, he said. 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. Public school districts, mostly across the Northeast and Midwest, closed this week as the omicron variant of coronavirus surges following the winter break and the country's students face a mental . Updated by the minute, our Dallas Cowboys NFL Tracker: News and views and moves inside The Star and around the league . In-person learning is vital for the development, well-being and educational needs of K-12 students. Two years ago, most of society shut down in the face of a deadly virus we knew little about and couldnt defend against. Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the states only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. PHOENIX - Public schools in Arizona are once again at risk of massive budget cuts and layoffs unless lawmakers vote to lift a constitutional spending cap that has been in place for decades. Gov. 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.. Prop 208 is a voter-approved tax hike on high-earners. They may get sick but for them it is, thank God, more like getting the flu than getting a death sentence. Stay up-to-date on the most recent guidance, resources, and professional development offered by the Arizona Department of Education and our partners. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. The previous survey's results (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022) remain available in . Creative Commons. Read more at UArizona News. 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. Or more specifically, we will pay … for parents to send their kids to private school. Madison School . 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.". Look at Mesa Unified School District up in the Phoenix area, theyd have to cut $78 million, or TUSD with $58 million, Marana with about $15 million, Amphi with $14 million, he said. Please choose your school district in Arizona from the list below to view a calendar of your 2022-2023 school holidays. 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. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs doesnt think the Legislature will act before the March 1 deadline. If the Legislature doesnt override the limit, schools will only have a couple of months to cut $1.2 billion.. 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. It is adjusted each year to take into account inflation and the number of students who are enrolled. This limitation excludes charter schools and only applies to district public schools. 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. We changed the rules on schools. "I originally planned to give a different speech today," she said. Published: Feb. 8, 2022 at 5:11 PM PST. "That would mean laying off two-thirds of the teachers," said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. A lot of those kids are now back in school, but thats affecting the limit by about $300 million, he said. 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. 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. Thats a death rate of 0.02%. According to Bridge Michigan, over 6% of the state's K-12 students missed at least one day of in-person classes this week due to COVID-related shutdowns. Get AZCIRs latest investigations and updates delivered straight into your inbox. A spending limit set 40 years ago doesnt work today. Robbins announces changes to the future of University of Arizona's medical programs. Email covid.edu@azcir.org, or contact AZCIRs reporters: Which school districts have mask mandates in place? and last updated 9:42 AM, Feb 09, 2022. 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. Eighty-five percent of our budget is salary and benefits. In an abrupt reversal, Atlanta's public schools start the year remotely. In the past, when districts hit the decades-old aggregate expenditure limit, lawmakers voted to override it which hasn't . District Administration. Doug Ducey has put Arizonas public schools on notice. And students are still trying to recover from the impact of COVID-induced learning interruptions. Unless school leaders inform you that the school is closed or cannot provide a place, then you still have a legal duty to send your children to school unless they are unwell. Public schools in Arizona are once again at risk of massive budget cuts and layoffs unless lawmakers vote to lift a constitutional spending cap that has been in place for decades. Ducey and Hoffman released a joint statement: In alignment with yesterdays updated federal guidance, today we are announcing the extension of school closures through the remainder of the school year. Sinema, who has not said whether she will seek a second term, still had a formidable $10 million in her bank account at . 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 Associated Press contributed to this report. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia also marked August 4, 2021 as the first day of the 2021-2022 academic year. No schools were reported several weeks in January and February. But we have some legislators who didnt like 208, and theyre still fighting it in court. If lawmakers fail to raise the cap, public school districts could lose over a billion dollars in funding. We knew this was going to become an issue. This technical roadblock means without immediate bipartisan legislative action districts across Arizona will have to eliminate 15% or more of their already approved budgeted expenses this spring. AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The cap only affects district public schools; charter schools did not exist in 1980. During his State of Education Address on Jan. 31, Horne touched on the spending cap, among other issues such strengthening student discipline, improving test scores, and his opposition to Critical Race Theory, which is a hot-button conservative political issue. 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. Then work with us to abolish this arbitrary, antiquated policy. Tell your senators and representatives to stop using this latest crisis as a political football to score points against each other. /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. "Back then in '80, we had schoolbooks and chalkboards and all kinds of things that didn't cost near as much.". 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. Katherine Fung 12/23/2021. "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. The Arizona Republics Stephanie Innes in December reported that the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths, since the vaccine became available, have been in people who were not fully vaccinated. As a result, school districts cannot legally spend the money the Legislature already approved months ago as part of the state budget. Politicians are holding our school districts hostage to try to get their way on two things that arent related, Secretary Hobbs said. But in 2018, the Legislature extended Proposition 301, without exempting it. The State Legislature, under the Arizona State Constitution, has the power to authorize expenditures in excess of the limitation for a single fiscal year. "It looks like we will begin moving that piece forward in the next couple of weeks," said State Sen. Shope. On Aug. 16, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled the ban therefore would not take effect until Sept. 29. Back in 1980, a cap on school funding, also known as an Aggregate Expenditure Limit, was added to the Arizona Constitution. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Duceys wrong to use the pandemic as an excuse to expand school vouchers. With out a fix to the school funding limit, schools will undoubtedly lay off educators, cut programs, and in the worst cases close their doors. Hoffman stressed the importance of school funding, saying in a written copy of her address, the biggest threat of widespread school closures comes not from the virus, but a school finance relic from 1980, the aggregate expenditure limit.. said Lewis. 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. 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. But nearly three months later, details surrounding the timing, implementation and enforcement of the law remain unclear. That depends; county health departments in Arizona can issue quarantine guidance. 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. 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. Twenty-six Republican lawmakers have asked Ducey to withhold federal funding from and initiate legal action against any district that ignores the ban. The restrictions now apply statewide with cases reported in all 15 counties. A two-thirds majority of the Legislature is needed to override the cap and allow the $1.2 billion to be spent. "That would be an incredible disaster. Yes. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The 10,000 pupils in the Lansing Public School District are stuck in virtual mode until at least next week. It allows people to lift themselves out of poverty. Similar Facebook posts were shared in early August 2021 claiming some schools are closing their doors again, . As of Dec. 6, she reported, there had been 608 breakthrough COVID-19 deaths in fully vaccinated people in Arizona. In Arizona, he said on Tuesday, were going to ensure continued access to in-person learning.. Click to reveal They also asked the governor to authorize Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, or school vouchers, for all students trapped in those districts. The county has provided a form letter school officials can use that says those who are not fully vaccinated or have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days are to quarantine (stay) at home for up to 10 days.. In 2000, when voters approved Proposition 301 to fund education for 20 years, they exempted that money from counting toward the expenditure limit. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Which states are hurting the most when it comes to teacher How To Work With Our Editorial Department. 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. PHOENIX - Governor Doug Ducey announced Monday that Arizona schools will be closed through the end of the school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. John Brown expects to graduate in May 2023 with a bachelors degree in journalism and a minor in political science. Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia also marked August 4, 2021 as the first day of the 2021-2022 academic year. Phase 2, 2022-2023. And as state and local officials argue over the ban's merit, COVID-19 continues to spread. Menu. 2023 Cronkite News. Gov. I originally planned to give a different speech today, she said. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. MAP: Districts operational status across the U.S. 2023. Superintendent Kathy Hoffman said a familiar issue is still the most pressing one for education in our state.
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