Arizona school district officials have backup plans if Prop. 123 fails

PHOENIX — Arizona educators said the education-funding voter initiative Proposition 123 is a step in the right direction, but school districts also have had to prepare for the worst if it does not get legalized.

Pearl Chang Esau, president of Expect More Arizona, said state legislators and education advocates have worked hard to dedicate funding — about $111 million — to K-12 education in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.

“We’re pleased to see the work of so many education advocates around the state starting to pay off,” she said.

The $111 million included the restoration of the cut that was made last year to career and technical education. Esau said there is also another $31 million for school facilities, which is double the previous amount.

But if Prop. 123 does not pass on during a special election on May 17, Esau said, a lot of that changes.

“There’s a couple hundred million dollars at risk in this budget if (Prop.) 123 doesn’t pass,” she said.

As a result, more than 20 Arizona school districts have created two different budgets for this year: one if Prop. 123 passes and another if it does not.

Craig Pletenik, communications manager with Phoenix Union High School District, said May 17 is too late for a lot of the budgeting decisions that school districts need to make.

“We’re preparing two budgets, so one in the event that Prop. 123 passes, if it doesn’t we’ll make adjustments and just won’t be able to the things that we’ve been waiting to do for quite a while,” he said.

If the proposition succeeds, there will be increases in the base teacher pay and a one-time retro payment to catch up on the years that teachers did not receive the raises they were entitled to.

Similar state budget proposals are working their way through the House and Senate.

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