Proposition 123 won’t bring Arizona public school funding to pre-recession amount

A new report found that Arizona public schools will still be funded $863 million less than before the recession, even if Proposition 123 passes.

The report from the the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as outlined by KJZZ, says aid to students in Arizona is still 15 percent less than it was in 2009, accounting for inflation. Arizona cut more funding to schools between 2008 and 2014 than any other state in the country.

Proposition 123 would increase the amount taken out of the state land trust funds to schools, universities and other public institutions from 2.5 percent of the funds to 6.9 percent for the next ten years. The estimated value of those funds should be around $2 billion dollars over those 10 years.

Supporters of increased funding to schools, like Andrew Morrill of the Arizona Education Association still support Proposition 123, telling KJZZ it is a “good first step.”

Follow @KTAR923