Children’s Action Alliance, Arizona Center for Economic Progress Urge Arizonans to Vote No on Proposition 320

Measure provides no teacher raises or new school funding, leaves critical rules undefined and could lead to cuts in teacher-pay funding

Children’s Action Alliance and the Arizona Center for Economic Progress today announced their opposition to Proposition 320, warning that the measure would impose an unclear new mandate on already underfunded public schools without providing teachers a single dollar in pay raises or schools any additional funding.

Prop. 320 would require covered school districts to devote at least 60% of their operational spending to “direct instructional expenses.” But the measure does not define “direct instructional expenses.” Those rules would be established by the state Auditor General after Arizonans vote.

Districts that cannot comply would face escalating reductions in Classroom Site Fund money used for teacher salaries, performance pay, smaller classes and student-support services. The penalty would begin with a 25% reduction after one year of noncompliance and could eventually reach 100%.

The measure is expected to affect districts serving approximately 707,300 Arizona public school students.

“Prop. 320 is a bait and switch,” said David Lujan, executive director of Children’s Action Alliance. “It sounds like it will help teachers and classrooms, but it gives teachers no pay raise and provides schools with no new resources. Instead, it could force schools to make harmful choices affecting the educators and services children rely on every day — and then take away teacher-pay funding if they cannot comply with rules that have not even been written. Arizona’s children need strong, adequately funded public schools, not more uncertainty and punishment.”

Arizona public schools already face inadequate funding, unmet school-facility needs and an educator shortage. Prop. 320 would not address those challenges. Instead, it would require districts to rearrange the limited resources they already have to meet a statewide spending mandate.

“Arizona cannot solve school underfunding by threatening to take more funding away,” said Joseph Palomino, director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress. “Prop. 320 does not add a single dollar to public education or raise teacher pay. It creates an unclear mandate and then penalizes schools that cannot meet it by reducing funding used for teacher salaries and student support. That could trap struggling districts in a downward spiral of fewer resources, greater challenges and escalating penalties.”

The measure also could place additional pressure on funding for counselors, school nurses, transportation, technology, special-education support and safe, functioning school buildings.

Learn more about Prop. 320:

Schools Face More Budget Pressure Under Prop. 320: No New Funding, No Guaranteed Teacher Raises, Unclear Rules

• azchildren.org
• azeconcenter.org

No on 320:

• noon320.com