Arizona’s Schools Wait for 6 Republican Senators to Override the Aggregate Expenditure Limit

Yesterday, House Democrats along with a minority of Republicans passed HCR2039, a one-time compromise that authorizes public schools to spend the remaining $1,154,028,997 that they have budgeted for the last 12 weeks of the school year. Now, the fate of Arizona’s public schools this spring relies on six Republican Senators.

Arizona parents and students deserve a state legislature that delivers long-term budgetary certainty to our public schools. Can you chip in $10 today?

Arizona’s 1980 school spending cap (AEL) is partially why Arizona remains 49th in per-pupil spending and why 20% of our students do not have a permanent, qualified teacher in their classroom – it’s time to fully repeal the 1980 school spending cap.

Later in the day, Senator Juan Mendez, who is on paternity leave, risked the health of his family and newborn baby to appear in the Senate to vote for the concurrent SCR1050; however, Senate Republicans could not find the six votes to meet the two-thirds majority to override the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL).

It is time that we flip the legislature to ensure we have a government that will work to solve the education crisis in Arizona. Can you chip in $10 today?

We demand six Senate Republicans who care about our State’s children and teachers to join with legislative Democrats and pass an override of the AEL to avoid further damage to our public schools.