Ducey Proposes to Reverse K12 Funding Cuts

By Ricardo Cano for The Arizona Republic Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday announced a plan he says would “reverse Recession-era cuts” to Arizona school funding and help settle a $1B lawsuit over a decade of cuts to school capital funding. Surrounded by more than 50 Arizona school superintendents, Ducey said his budget this year will include $100M […]

Budget Offers Counties Some Relief

By Rebekah L. Sanders for The Arizona Republic Arizona counties will continue struggling to fix roads, staff sheriff patrols and make payroll next year because the state has pinched their revenue since the Great Recession. But the Arizona Legislature’s budget for next year offers some relief. Counties will fork over about $32M to help balance the state budget that […]

Schools Sue State Over Construction Funding

By Howard Fischer for Capitol Media Services Just a year after settling one education funding lawsuit, state lawmakers face a new one, this time over what challengers say is their failure to build and properly maintain public schools. The lawsuit is based on claims that the Legislature is effectively ignoring a 1994 ruling by the […]

Counties Suffer After Years of Funding Sweeps

By Rebekah L. Sanders for The Arizona Republic County officials across the state are waiting anxiously for the Arizona Legislature to deliver its 2018 budget to Gov. Doug Ducey, warning they could be on the brink of financial disaster if the state doesn’t throw them a bone. Counties have shouldered more than $500M in funding […]

AZ House Budget Rejects Ducey Ed. Proposals

By Alia Beard Rau for The Arizona Republic An initial budget proposal from Republicans in the Arizona House focuses available new funds on teacher raises and school capital costs, rejecting Gov. Doug Ducey‘s proposal to parse it out over more than a dozen education-funding programs. House Republicans propose $219M in new ongoing and one-time funding for […]