How Much has Arizona Spent on Education Since #RedforEd? The Numbers You Need to Know

From The Arizona Republic, January 30, 2020.  Lily Altavena.

Teacher salaries

• Key numbers:If Ducey keeps his promise to increase classroom teacher salaries a full 20% by 2020, $645 million more a year will be going to teacher salaries than before #RedForEd.

Fixes to aging school buildings

• Key numbers: Arizona’s school buildings are aging. Funding specifically meant for building repairs has nearly tripled since 2016, from $30 million to $80 million. But many school officials say buildings have serious problems and they need more money. Officials estimate they’ve been shorted $2 billion over a decade for school capital.

Classroom funding

• Key numbers: The governor’s budget proposal would fulfill his promise to restore $371 million in recession-era cuts to district and charter additional assistance, a state fund meant to cover textbooks, classroom materials, school buses and other materials.

Special education

• Key numbers: The state doesn’t know how much money should be going to special education every year, because it has not studied costs in over a decade. Districts say they are spending more on special education than they get, taking funding away from other school services.