Hobbs says state budget will fully fund schools despite not including Prop 123 renewal

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said despite a stalemate when it comes to boosting teacher salaries, the state’s K-12 schools will remain fully funded.

“What this budget does is make sure that those schools that rely on that funding are not going to see a shortfall. It keeps them whole and it adds funding for lower income schools. It continues the free school lunches so kids have the nutrition they need to be able to learn and it invests a good amount of funds into school facilities,” Hobbs told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos Thursday.

The state budget agreement announced Monday did not include Proposition 123, a funding mechanism that would have increased public education funding by $300 million from the State Land Trust Permanent fund. The GOP-controlled Legislature would have to refer it to the ballot to give voters a chance to renew it in November.

Hobbs said she wants to continue to push for a Prop 123 renewal, but Republican lawmakers were not willing to compromise.

She added the GOP was also uncompromising when it came to the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, which allows families to use an education tax credit to pay for alternate schooling like homeschool or private schools.

“I have pushed every single year for reforms to stop the waste fraud and abuse that we’re continuing to see with ESAs. That is an important priority. Again, it’s a place where the Republicans and the Legislature weren’t able to put the partisan politics aside,” she said.

Hobbs has been calling for ESA reform for over a year, accusing the program of allowing fraudulent purchases.

There are currently two ESA accountability ballot initiatives that could end up on the November ballot that would limit the program.

Stand for Children Arizona, an education advocacy nonprofit, called on the governor to include more funding for childcare in the state budget to shorten the state’s preschool waitlist.

“These are commonsense programs with a small overall expense that would pay huge dividends for Arizonans and our economy. We hope that when Arizona is in better financial shape, we make these important programs a priority again,” Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau said in a statement Friday.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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