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Calls for special session to lift funding limits for public schools growing louder at the legislature

As of now, 18% of the funding, approximately $1.3 billion, is off-limits to public school districts
Money Cash AP
Posted at 10:13 AM, Dec 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-01 20:20:19-05

PHOENIX — Arizona lawmakers, some with only days left in office, want Governor Doug Ducey to call a special session to lift the Aggregate Expenditure Limit to ensure public school districts can spend all the dollars appropriated to them in the 2022-2023 budget.

"Governor Ducey promised to call a special session this year so we could finish our job by waiving the AEL," Republican State Representative Michelle Udall said.   

In spring, the legislature signed off on a budget that appropriated $8.45 billion for K-12 education.

But as of now, 18% of the funding, approximately $1.3 billion, is off-limits to public school districts. Without lifting the limits, schools cannot touch the money and could be required to return it in April during the final weeks of the school year. 

Dr. Michael Wright Ph.D. is the Superintendent of the Blue Ridge Unified School District in Lakeside. He says if the AEL is not lifted it will cost his district nearly $2.5 million.

Teachers will be laid off and programs will be eliminated.

"You can pretend to care but you can't pretend to show up. Governor, we need you to show up and help us," Dr. Wright said. 

State Representative Udall (R-Mesa), says the governor and lawmakers encouraged schools to spend the new money on special education programs, tutoring, and teacher salaries.

State Senator Sean Bowie (D-Ahwatukee), who was involved in the budget negotiations in the spring, said the governor's promise of a special session to deal with the AEL was the condition for his vote.

"It's worth emphasizing this historic bipartisan agreement we secured this year would not have happened without this promise," State Senator Bowie said. 

A similar situation played out this year when lawmakers agreed to lift the limits one time. Democrats were hoping the limits would be lifted permanently. 

In 1980, Arizona voters passed a constitutional amendment creating spending limits for public school districts based on the aggregate expenditure of all districts.

Charter schools are not subject to the limits.

Both Representative Udall and State Senator Bowie say there are enough votes in both chambers to lift the spending limits now. Governor Ducey however remains non-committal.

His spokesman CJ Karamargin would only say, "We are having discussions with lawmakers. Governor Ducey's budget contains significant new investments in K-12 education. He would like schools to receive those dollars." 

This morning, Senate President Karen Fann's spokesperson said, "President Fann personally supports the idea of a special session to address the AEL. However, our members would need to know what the exact language in a bill on the issue would look like before taking a vote count to know whether or not it would pass. We have some members who would like education accountability attached to the bill, while others would like some election integrity legislation included if the Governor does call a special session. We do not have the votes within the Legislature to call ourselves into a special session at this time. It would have to be a move the Governor makes."

Andrew Wilder, the spokesman for the House of Representatives said, " Speaker Bowers personally would like to see AEL permanently raised. He believes the matter can wait until the new session begins in January."