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Proposals for overhauling Arizona school funding unveiled

Posted at 6:54 AM, Dec 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-14 13:24:49-05

A panel Gov. Doug Ducey charged with proposing ways to improve and simplify public education financing in Arizona is releasing its recommendations.

The report reviewed by The Associated Press in advance of Wednesday's release shows 12 major recommendations. They include replacing the state's current K-12 school funding formula with a single simplified formula for all public schools and allocating funds using a lump-sum formula. The council also recommends consolidating property tax rates and reducing reliance on property tax overrides.

Another key recommendation is an across-the-board teacher salary increase to address the shortage of classroom instructors.

The report comes nearly 18 months after Ducey appointed the Classrooms First Initiative Council and charged its members with coming up with ways to overhaul the state's complex K-12 public school financing laws.