A $2.2 Billion Shortfall for Arizona Schools
Judge calls on state to address chronic underfunding of schools
An Arizona judge ruled that the state has underfunded schools - to the tune of at least $2.2 billion.
After a 14-day trial in late June and early July, Judge Fox concluded that the state shorted public schools at least $2.2 billion for maintenance and construction costs between 1998 and 2013 — and likely billions more in the years since, after policymakers scrapped a formula for building repairs in favor of far less funding for competitive grants. Fox also noted that chronic underfunding was compounded by the Republican-led legislature reducing another school funding stream — District Additional Assistance (DAA), which covers shorter-term capital projects that don’t involve major construction or renovation — by at least $3 billion between 2009 and 2022.
The decrease in state funds for public schools is happening while Arizona’s school voucher scheme continues to eat billions of state education dollars.
12 News found vouchers played a key role in an unprecedented $206 million funding shortfall announced by Supt. Tom Horne in May.
Other states are also seeing school funding challenges:
While Kentucky has yet to privatize its schools - thanks to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s resistance - the GOP legislature consistently rejects attempts to boost school funding there.
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