Blog: Arizonans have a decision to make

In poll after poll, in casual conversation, in action, the people of Arizona have said they want our public school system to be successful and vibrant so that all our children graduate college and are career ready. Business leaders, policymakers and economists say doing so is imperative to the economic health and well-being of our state.

An item on the November 2012 ballot seeks to make permanent the one-cent sales tax passed by voters two years ago. If passed, Prop. 204, the Quality Education and Jobs Initiative, will direct 80 percent of funds generated to Arizona public education, which has seen its funding eroding for the past five years. The publicity packets registered voters just received in the mail indicate that Prop. 204 has significant support. Sixty-one ballot arguments were submitted in favor of Prop. 204 and just 19 in opposition.

According to the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, using data from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the increase for districts and charter schools will be an estimated $582 per student with an additional $87.4 million available in performance funding for those districts and charters that qualify.

The measure is set up to work like a bucket being filled, then overflowing to another bucket and so on — again, with the overwhelming majority flowing to K-12 and high education. The first $1 billion would be allocated as follows:

• The first $500 million could be used for implementation of the new higher Arizona Common Core Standards, more rigorous teacher and principal evaluation, school accountability and improvement programs, and K-3 reading.

• The next $10 million is to be used for a statewide education data system.

• The next $90 million is to be administered by the Arizona Department of Education for performance pay for teachers based mainly on their student academic progress performance, but also on parental satisfaction performance and student engagement.

• The next $100 million would go to the State Infrastructure Fund for specific uses, including highways, streets, public transportation, and buildings.

• The next $25 million would go towards the Children’s Health Insurance Fund for children in low-income households (also known as KidsCare).

• The next $100 million goes to the Human Services Self-Sufficiency Fund to help non-profits that serve the basic needs of children, families and vulnerable adults.

• The next $50 million goes to the University Scholarship, Operations and Infrastructure Fund to augment current scholarship funds.

• And the last $125 million of the first $1 billion generated each year will be set aside to fund inflationary increases to the K-12 formula; if monies remain they go back to the Equalization Assistance Fund.

After the first $1 billion, funds will flow into a new “bucket” to with a threshold of $549 million. These dollars will go to districts and charters that qualify for free and reduced lunch students (33 percent or up to $100 million); community colleges and tribal secondary institutions (22.5 percent or up to $65 million); Joint Technical Education Districts (9 percent or up to $29 million); the Arizona Department of Education Adult Education (1.5 percent or up to $5 million); the University Scholarship, Operations and Infrastructure Fund (22 percent or up to $250 million) supplementing funds allocated from the first $1 billion; and the State Infrastructure Fund (11 percent or up to up to $100 million), supplementing funds allocated from the first $1 billion.

Remaining monies will flow as follows: 50 percent to Equalization Assistance; 30 percent for districts and charters that quality for free and reduced lunch students; 10 percent for the State Infrastructure Fund; 7.5 percent for the University Scholarship, Operations and Infrastructure Fund, and 2.5 percent for community colleges and Indian Tribal secondary institutions.