According to AZ Central, Arizona’s school superintendent is seeking $680 million for education and cites findings from an Arizona Republic school bus safety series.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas unveiled a new funding proposal Tuesday that would give the state’s public schools $680 million to pay for teacher raises, school facilities repairs and new school buses.
The push for more funding to address two long-standing Arizona education issues—the state’s ongoing teacher shortage and its capital-funding woes—appears to be the nucleus of Douglas’ updated “AZ Kids Can’t Wait!” education plan.
Douglas cited an Arizona Republic investigation that found nearly 30 percent of the state’s school buses failed safety inspections last year.
“Our children’s lives are precious and their safety is of the utmost importance,” she wrote of her funding proposal, which must go through the state Legislature. “For too long, we have been neglecting proper transportation support to rural districts that face unique challenges caused by rough roads, unsafe school buses and bus driver vacancies.”
The funding proposal would be divided like this:
- $200 million would be given to schools without strings attached.
- $140 million solely for boosting all teacher salaries by 5 percent.
- A combined $60 million to increase rural transportation funding and address teacher recruitment.
- $280 million to address schools’ capital-funding needs.
Douglas would also have to work with the State Board of Education to push through many of her proposals. While Douglas is the state’s top education official and oversees the state Department of Education, her office does not give her the power to adopt education policy single-handed.
