Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/801759
8 ADVOCATE | SPRING 2017 at the capitol Low income schools will not compete with high income schools for the funding. 2. Enrollment Reconciliation Funding The transition to current year funding has been difficult for school districts. School districts will receive this one-time $20 million funding to help manage the impact of declines in enrollment that are greater than 2%. The Governor's Achieve60AZ and Arizona Education Progress Meter will be developed through initiatives outlined below: 1. Full-Day Kindergarten Funding $10 million ($1,244 per pupil) to expand full-day kindergarten only to public schools where more than 90% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. There is no planned expansion outside of the 90% free and reduce lunch threshold. 2. JTED Completion Grants $1 million for completion grants to help high school graduates finish the JTED program they started but did not fully complete. Students would have to have completed more than 50% of the JTED program to be eligible. 3. FAFSA Completion Initiative $114,700 for to expand the Commission for Postsecondary Education's FAFSA Completion Initiative to get more first generation college bound students to a postsecondary institution by completing the FAFSA form to qualify for financial aid. 4. Arizona Broadband for Education Initiative (Rural Schools) $5 million to fund a state match that will be combined with federal E-Rate dollars to expand broadband to rural districts and charters. 5. Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities $800,000 to increase the number of home visits per month for AZ School for the Deaf and Blind's birth-to-three program. 6. K-12 Academic Standards $1.1 million to fund 10.5 FTE positions at the AZ Department of Education to maintain a continuous review all of Arizona's academic standards, including mathematics and English language arts. 7. School Leadership Training $250,000 in matching funds to create 50 seats to train school leaders in effective management strategies. 8. K-12 Computer Science $200,000 in matching funds to advance statewide computer science initiative through the development of academic standards for computer science, including coding, and professional development for teachers. 9. Jobs for Arizona's Graduates $100,000 in matching funds to expand Jobs for Arizona's Graduates (JAG), a school-based dropout intervention program for at-risk youth. 10. School Facilities and Infrastructure $17 million to the School Facilities Board to meet the increased volume of building renewal applications and funding demands. Higher Education 1. $1 Billion Bonding Package for ASU, UA and NAU The universities will be enabled to invest approximately $1 billion in research and development and capital. The $1 billion ongoing investment will be supported by redirecting transaction privilege tax (TPT) revenues paid by the universities. A total of $36.8 million in TPT revenues will be redirected to the universities. The $30.3 million in redirected State component TPT revenues are to be used for capital investments, including research and development infrastructure and deferred maintenance projects. Any TPT revenue growth above 2% will be provided to universities for general operating expenditures. The universities will also receive approximately $6.5 million in State- shared component TPT revenues for general operating expenses. 2. Arizona Teachers Academy In return for the financing package above, the three state universities are tasked with creating the Arizona Teachers Academy which is scheduled to begin in Fall 2017. Initial plans for the Teachers Academy are due within the next 90 days and should include: student preparation for the teaching profession, professional support for teachers, new accelerated model for high-demand disciplines (e.g., STEM) and for career changers that result in professional certification. The plans should also establish stronger partnerships between universities and school systems to build a pipeline for teacher employment. The universities are expected to graduate students from the Arizona Teachers Academy debt free. For every year of free tuition received, the student is committed to teaching in an Arizona school for a year. 3. Universities will also receive a one-time $15 million general fund appropriation. Conclusion While the Governor's budget does prioritize investing in public education, there are continued revenue constraints that do not allow the investments made to be significant. If the Governor and the Legislature want to attract and retain talented individuals to the teaching profession, they need to start looking at ways to increase revenue to the state. The continued expansion of corporate tax breaks, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts and Student Tuition Organizations are diverting funds from Arizona classrooms and hurting students and teachers.