skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

AZ Remains Third-Highest State for K-12 Education Cuts

play audio
Play

Thursday, September 12, 2013   

PHOENIX – Since the recession began, only Oklahoma and Alabama have beaten Arizona when it comes to K-12 per student funding cuts, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The ranking comes in spite of a recent $82 million increase in state schools funding, says Dana Naimark, president of Children's Action Alliance.

"Despite that increase for this year, we're still 17 percent below where we were before the recession began in fiscal year 2008, per student," she says.

Naimark adds lawmakers are raising expectations for student achievement, but ignoring the investments needed to meet those higher standards.

She says many schools have been forced to increase class sizes, defer building repairs and maintenance and cut numerous activities and programs.

"We no longer have state funding for full-day kindergarten,” she explains. “We no longer have state funding for pre-school. We have cut literacy programs for parents and children. We've cut into adult education."

In addition, Naimark says more classroom supplies are personally provided by teachers and parents, who are also being asked to pay more for extracurricular activities.

She wants lawmakers to come up with a long-term plan to fund Arizona's schools to a level that meets the expectations of parents, students, teachers and taxpayers. Otherwise, lawmakers are setting the state up for failure by raising expectations while defunding schools.

"A high priority is building up the rainy day fund,” she says. “Certainly we have new tax cuts that are still being phased in, that were passed in prior years, that are being phased in this year and next year. and that is going to eat into the revenue that's available for education."

Legislative leaders say lower taxes are key for economic growth. Naimark counters, so is education.

"We know that if we want Arizona's economy to prosper, we have to keep up a very skilled, trained, agile workforce,” she says. “And certainly a key area for that is K-12 education."






get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021