Were talking closing schools altogether. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As a result, school districts cannot legally spend the money the Legislature already approved months ago as part of the state budget. Unvaccinated people were 32times more likely to die from COVID-19 than fully vaccinated people, according to the new Department of Health Services' analysis of data from November. Currently, a total of 877 classrooms in the New York City public school district have closed, their students transitioned to at-home e-learning, due to confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Close K-3 school Desert Garden Elementary School off 71st Avenue and Ocotillo Road and repurpose the building into a preschool facility. Public school districts, mostly across the Northeast and Midwest, closed this week as the omicron variant of coronavirus surges following the winter break and the country's students face a mental . A clear picture of school-based COVID-19 outbreaks has so far proven elusive, given the rapidly evolving situation and the fact that neither the Arizona Department of Health nor the Arizona Department of Education publishes a dashboard of statewide COVID cases in schools. Its frustrating, he said, because every dollar needed for salaries and to fulfill budgets already has been approved by the Legislature. News. Please choose your school district in Arizona from the list below to view a calendar of your 2022-2023 school holidays. You have permission to edit AZCIR material to reflect changes in time, location and editorial style only. I get the decision out when I get it out., Ducey defends use of school funding in face of feds threat to reclaim it. On CoronavirusNOW.com, you'llfind extensive coverage about COVID-19, including breaking news from around the country, exclusive interviews with health officials, and informative content from a variety of public health resources. What Ive heard from some Republicans is theyre waiting to hear about the court case on Prop 208 and the judge in that case says hes not going to expedite his ruling, she said. He has until March 10th.. She is working for the Phoenix news bureau. Coconino County publishes a COVID-19 school update every Friday that summarizes case rate and percent positivity at district level. "That would be an incredible disaster. Lets get this straight. During his State of Education Address on Jan. 31, Horne touched on the spending cap, among other issues such strengthening student discipline, improving test scores, and his opposition to Critical Race Theory, which is a hot-button conservative political issue. PHOENIX Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman held her 2022 State of Education address Tuesday afternoon, heavily focusing on the . While other counties do not have dashboards, some school districts have made their own, such as Kingman Unified School District #20 in Mohave County. Do we ask our people to work for free for the last few months of the year? said Hector Encinas, the CFO for Sunnyside Schools. The State Legislature, under the Arizona State Constitution, has the power to authorize expenditures in excess of the limitation for a single fiscal year. Some are saying, Im not going to approve exceeding the limit until the courts rule that it is unconstitutional., Judge John Hannah of Maricopa County Superior Court declined to rule immediately on the constitutionality of Proposition 208, according to The Arizona Republic. You are not adding new money or raising taxes, just letting them spend all the money you budgeted to them last year, she said. During the 2021-2022 school year, public schools were staring at 16% across-the-board cuts, and looking at layoffs and school closings, according to education advocates. Lana Berry, the chief financial officer of Chandler Unified School District, said schools have the money, they just need the authorization from the Legislature to spend it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The irony is that this spring, school districts are running into something called the aggregate expenditure limit (AEL) that was created more than40 years ago. The aggregate expenditure limitation shall be determined by adjusting the total amount of expenditures of local revenues for all school districts for fiscal year 1979-1980 to reflect the changes in student population in the school districts and the cost of living, and multiplying the result by 1.10. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } These efforts are crucial, and we recognize that schools are making every effort possible to continue providing instruction during closures. If the state legislature does nothing to lift a constitutionally-mandated spending cap, public schools could be looking at over a billion dollars in spending cuts. Taylor Lane expects to graduate in May 2022 with a bachelors degree in journalism. The aggregate expenditures of local revenues for all school districts shall not exceed the limitation prescribed in this section. While this isnt the outcome any of us wanted, we are grateful for the partnership of schools around the state, who have stepped up to offer virtual and take-home learning opportunities for our students. 2023 Cronkite News. Or, they will have to close schools altogether by April 1. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic, Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District, Maricopa County Community College District, You must credit us: For bylines, use Author Name, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. At the top of the text of the story, include a line that reads: "This story was originally published by the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting." By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Doug Ducey has put Arizonas public schools on notice. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Hannah must make his decision by March 10, after the deadline for the Legislature to override the spending cap, but Hannah said he could not pinpoint when he would rule., There are no ulterior motives, he told The Republic. In a statement, Arizona Superintendent Kathy Hoffman said: Legislative leaders have less than one month to prevent Arizonas school districts from facing existential budget cuts. Were not talking about shifting to remote learning. Classes in Chicago Public Schools were canceled for the second day Thursday, the result of an impasse over the teachers union's desire to return to remote . 185.6.9.159 Superintendent Hoffman is also asking lawmakers to pass a bill that would ultimately repeal the spending cap, avoiding a showdown like this one, again. The money is already in the district bank accounts. Its kind of like kicking our kids when theyre already down, isnt it? He's also in a band. The deadline for a decision is March 1. At least 25 school districtsas well as several higher education institutionshave implemented broad campus mask requirements, arguing they have a duty to protect their students, staff and communities. Arizonas children lost precious years of childhood. Creative Commons. (Arizona public school funding, by the way, alreadyranks lowest in the nation). I am tired of legislative leaders playing political games with public schools, educators and students. By: Sheenae Shannon, AEA Communications Director. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. And Arizonas death rate remains one of highest in the nation, thanks in part to a governor who has used his emergency powers to actually prevent cities and school districtsfrom trying to protect public health. Todays announcement is intended to give parents and educators as much certainty as possible so they can plan and make decisions. According to Education Forward Arizona, the Legislature last overrode the gap in 2007 and 2008. The county has provided a form letter school officials can use that says those who are not fully vaccinated or have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days are to quarantine (stay) at home for up to 10 days.. Whatever the case, it means even more stress on already stressed-out students, parentsand teachers. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Superintendent Hoffman explained Flowing Wells and TUSD could lose a combined $63.9 million this school year due to the aggregate expenditure limit during her State of Education address Tuesday. We knew this was going to become an issue. said Lewis. They have not overspent. What that means immediately is that educators can lose their jobs starting April 1, programs can be canceled starting April 1, and class sizes can expand starting April 1, Garcia said. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Close your doors for even a day and you will . 360 Hiatt Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. Pima County tracks cases by school district. "If its not addressed in a permanent manner, we are going to be pretty much sealing our feet from now on be at the bottom of the nation in funding," said David Lujan, a former state lawmaker. The Arizona Republics Stephanie Innes in December reported that the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths, since the vaccine became available, have been in people who were not fully vaccinated. Some districts maintain their own dashboards online. But education advocates fear the Legislature isnt taking the cap seriously enough and that the March 1 deadline to approve the override will pass with no action taken, forcing districts to cut their budgets in the final quarter of the school year. Updated by the minute, our Dallas Cowboys NFL Tracker: News and views and moves inside The Star and around the league . Parents are best suited to make decisions about their childs education. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Independent, nonprofit investigative journalism for Arizona. While the education system was strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic and learning shifts, Hoffman said the biggest threat to schools is far from the virus or its complications. It reduces the burden on taxpayers and improves the economy for all of us. All rights reserved. Tell that to parents where COVID cases, test shortages are closing schools. It allows people to lift themselves out of poverty. A lot of those kids are now back in school, but thats affecting the limit by about $300 million, he said. Kids arent dying from COVID-19. If lawmakers fail to raise the cap, public school districts could lose over a billion dollars in funding. "This year, it seems it's turned into a little bit . The economic estimates commission shall determine and publish prior to May 1 of each year the aggregate expenditure limitation for all school districts for the following fiscal year. The aggregate expenditure limit, passed by voters in 1980, is an amendment to the Arizona Constitution that sets a spending limit for school districts based on total spending of all districts. "When this was set in 1980, we didn't have Chrome tablets or whiteboards or any of the stuff that we have now that teaches our kids," State Sen. Fann said at the time. In 2000, when voters approved Proposition 301 to fund education for 20 years, they exempted that money from counting toward the expenditure limit. 2023-2024 calendars are being added as they become available. Which states are hurting the most when it comes to teacher How To Work With Our Editorial Department. The district provided no in-person classes from March 2020 through the end of the . Interactive Coronavirus case data and map, Coronavirus in Arizona: Latest case numbers, Coronavirus: Symptoms, testing and how to prepare amid growing COVID-19 outbreak, How coronavirus differs from flu: Symptoms to watch for, Is it the flu, a cold or COVID-19? Since students returned to in-person learning in August, districts have reported more than 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and required thousands of students to quarantine. Doug Ducey, who for months had emphasized personal responsibility over pandemic-related mandates, signed off. You must link the words "Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting" to the original URL of the story. Theres no new taxes, no new money involved in any of that, and its really difficult for anyone to understand because its a complex topic, she said. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. "Back then in '80, we had schoolbooks and chalkboards and all kinds of things that didn't cost near as much.". We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Its time to work together for the good of our children, families, communityand the future of this great state. Copyright 2022 KOLD News 13. Arizona superintendent urges lawmakers to act as schools face closure ticking timebomb, Superintendent Hoffman says schools face closure ticking timebomb, Tucson marks first 100-degree day of 2023, WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO of officer-involved fatal shooting, Gov. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. For some of America's schools, 2022 sure feels a lot like 2020. including Savanna Elementary School District in California and the Chandler Unified School District in Arizona. Though some counties and school districts are monitoring outbreaks at the local level, there is no centralized tracking system. Chaos and confusion: Back to school turns ugly as Delta rages Nearly 18 months into the pandemic, there's no consensus on how to keep students and staff safe. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. This limitation excludes charter schools and only applies to district public schools. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until MON 7:00 PM MST, Western Pima-South Central Pinal-Tohono Oodham Nation, Eastern Pima-Southeastern Pinal-Santa Cruz-Western Cochise, until SUN 5:00 PM MST, Maricopa County, Yuma County, Yuma County, from FRI 11:40 PM MST until TUE 11:30 PM MST, Maricopa County, from MON 9:00 AM MST until MON 11:00 PM MST, Northwest Plateau, Northwest Deserts, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, from SUN 11:59 AM MDT until TUE 12:00 AM MDT, Apache County, until MON 9:00 PM MST, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail. TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Arizona public schools face budget cuts of $1.2 billion dollars unless the state Legislature lifts the school spending cap by the end of the month. In central Arizona, the Congress Elementary School District board met Wednesday and reviewed contingency plans. "I originally planned to give a different speech today," she said. Sadly, some legislators are already playing political games, trying to convince themselves and the public that the problem is because of district over-spending. No schools were reported several weeks in January and February. All stories must run in their entirety unless otherwise noted or agreed upon after discussion with AZCIR. All material must be attributed and credited prominently, and where appropriate for the material type throughout. Questions? Which counties have online dashboards or reports tracking COVID in schools? Eighty-five percent of our budget is salary and benefits. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Two years ago, most of society shut down in the face of a deadly virus we knew little about and couldnt defend against. /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. Look at Mesa Unified School District up in the Phoenix area, theyd have to cut $78 million, or TUSD with $58 million, Marana with about $15 million, Amphi with $14 million, he said. PHOENIX The clock is running out for state legislators to override a cap on spending that would prohibit Arizona public school districts from disbursing nearly $1.2 billion thats already been approved by the Legislature and budgeted. Michael Tubbs, once the youngest mayor of a major American city, to address UArizona graduates at Commencement. We will continue to work with families, public health experts and school leaders to ensure our kids can stay in the classroom and parents have a choice always.. First Name Last Name Email Please indicate your role in your school or district. In June, Arizonas Republican-led Legislature passed a state budget package that included a controversial provision prohibiting school districts from requiring masks. John Brown expects to graduate in May 2023 with a bachelors degree in journalism and a minor in political science. Closures will still last days to weeks as district leaders cope with staffing shortages and try to stem COVID transmissions. When does the states ban on school mask requirements take effect? The spending cap does not affect public charter schools, which educate about 240,000 K-12 students. Listen to public health experts and school leaders. And if schools close because they are not authorized to spend money already sitting in their bank accounts, the blame will lie with you not our public schools, Hoffman wrote to lawmakers in her address. This is something that shouldnt be an issue, but, unfortunately, the majority in the Legislature has decided to make it an issue.. Published: Feb. 8, 2022 at 5:11 PM PST. Click to reveal Gov. Is there anyone who wants to put them through that again? This is a lie. Though legislators stipulated the ban would apply retroactively, they did not have the two-thirds majority required to circumvent the typical 90-day waiting period. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This tracker links to some school districts in the county that have their own dashboards, where they further break down case numbers by school. Erin Richards. Katherine Fung 12/23/2021. Get AZCIRs latest investigations and updates delivered straight into your inbox. Your IP: UArizona ranks 29 among top 100 universities granted US utility patents in 2022. In partnership with Esri and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we've created the information below to keep you informed of the changes and impact of COVID-19 on school operational plans at the district level. This is their way of saying no to 208 even though the voters passed it overwhelmingly, she said. Districts based their budgets on money the Legislature already approved. All rights reserved. According to Bridge Michigan, over 6% of the state's K-12 students missed at least one day of in-person classes this week due to COVID-related shutdowns. During the 2021-2022 school year, public schools were staring at 16% across-the-board cuts, and looking at layoffs and school closings, according to education advocates. Edwards, who graduated from ASU in 2021, has interned with Phoenix New Times, Phoenix Magazine and Crime and Justice News. That depends; county health departments in Arizona can issue quarantine guidance. That might mean cuts to labor forces meaning that our staff and teachers will get cut. Phoenix, AZ 85007. email: [email protected] 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays. In Arizona, he said on Tuesday, were going to ensure continued access to in-person learning.. Feb. 11, 2022. Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. From how it spreads to where it originated, here's a look at everything you need to know about the deadly contagion. Email [email protected], or contact AZCIRs reporters: Which school districts have mask mandates in place? 2023 Cronkite News. Public schools in Arizona are once again at risk of massive budget cuts and layoffs unless lawmakers vote to lift a constitutional spending cap that has been in place for decades. TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Arizona Superintendent Kathy Hoffman is urging lawmakers to lift the school spending cap as public schools are facing nearly $1.2 billion in budget cuts. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until MON 7:00 PM MST, Western Pima-South Central Pinal-Tohono Oodham Nation, Eastern Pima-Southeastern Pinal-Santa Cruz-Western Cochise, until SUN 5:00 PM MST, Maricopa County, Yuma County, Yuma County, from FRI 11:40 PM MST until TUE 11:30 PM MST, Maricopa County, from MON 9:00 AM MST until MON 11:00 PM MST, Northwest Plateau, Northwest Deserts, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, from SUN 11:59 AM MDT until TUE 12:00 AM MDT, Apache County, until MON 9:00 PM MST, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail, Article 9, section 21, subsection 2 of the Arizona State Constitution, Murder, Money and the End of Days: The Lori Vallow story, Lori Vallow trial: Full-length audio files from inside the courtroom, Phoenix officer seriously injured by suspect, police say, Lori Vallow murder trial day 19: Hair from 'Doomsday mom' found on duct tape wrapped around dead son, Milwaukee woman stabbed sister to death amid feud: complaint, Cars parked at Gilbert daycares become target in latest string of break-ins, Shocking details revealed during 'Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow's murder trial: Live updates, Hair from 'Doomsday mom' found on duct tape wrapped around dead son, Here are tips on how to keep safe around water as summer nears, Some districts are considering to arm teachers amid school shooting epidemic, Arizona district installs weapon detection system in schools. It would be a disaster for the parents, and I think parents of all ideologies would be resentful of the Legislature not passing something to alleviate that problem.". All rights reserved. */. During her State of Education address at the Capitol on Tuesday, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman said if the cap isnt overridden by March 1, public school districts will have to cut 16% of their individual budgets before April 1. (Because apparently there would be no other public or charter school option?). Now, if only he would quit fighting schools that enact policies aimed at staying open. Although the money from the proposition will go toward public education, Essigs said not one penny of that money is in this years budget., That money will not start showing up until next year, he said. Maricopa County Department of Public Health, for example, recently began requiring students and staff who came in close contact of a known COVID-19 case to quarantine. The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Close your doors for even a day and you will pay. Consequently, this list will no longer be updated unless case rates again force a substantial number of schools to close. In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends: LIVE: Interactive Coronavirus case data and map, FULL COVERAGE: fox10phoenix.com/coronavirus, Coronavirus (COVID-19)How it spreads, symptoms, prevention, treatment, FAQhttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus, Arizona COVID-19 ResponsePublic resources, FAQ, webinarshttps://www.azdhs.gov/coronavirus. With out a fix to the school funding limit, schools will undoubtedly lay off educators, cut programs, and in the worst cases close their doors. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Maria Polletta is an investigative reporter for AZCIR focused on covering inequities in education. Prefer to send a check? The previous survey's results (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022) remain available in . Schools across the country are shutting down again. abc15.com staff 8:18 AM, Sep 16 . Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Sinema, who has not said whether she will seek a second term, still had a formidable $10 million in her bank account at . Twenty-six Republican lawmakers have asked Ducey to withhold federal funding from and initiate legal action against any district that ignores the ban. Gov. Maricopa County tracks schools with active and resolved outbreaks in a dashboard, but does not differentiate by school or district. We changed the rules on schools. His Open for Learning Recovery Benefit program offers up to $7,000 that can be used to pay private school tuition for any child whose school closes for even a day of in-person instruction. Read more at UArizona News. Arizona continues to rank dead last in the nation in per-student investment, according to Education Law Centers. Look at our options. Reassign students to Challenger or Don . Politics, cell towers and hate speech: Why 3 more superintendents are Florida schools move closer to a 12-month school year. How aggressively will the state enforce the ban? Budget documents show that Chandler schools would lose more than $54 million. "[State Senator Ken Bennett], the chairman of the Education Committee here in the Senate, will have that legislation to override the AEL for this coming year,". District Administration. We saw what it did to our kids. Its going to be very, very hard to do.. Public schools in Atlanta, Georgia also marked August 4, 2021 as the first day of the 2021-2022 academic year. As schools and education advocates are biting their nails waiting for the overrides, Kavanagh said hes pretty confident that the budget will be approved. I originally planned to give a different speech today, she said. The Sunnyside School District says it will lose more than $16 million dollars in funding. Stay up-to-date on the most recent guidance, resources, and professional development offered by the Arizona Department of Education and our partners. igor and grichka bogdanoff before and after plastic surgery,
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