A Timeline of Matt Gress’ Record on Arizona’s Public Schools
Arizona is currently ranked 51st in education and 49th in funding.
Phoenix, Ariz – Arizona’s public education schools have for years been plagued with teacher shortages, poor infrastructure, and a lack of adequate funding. Republicans at the state legislature have refused to hear bills that could alleviate these problems and one Republican in particular has had a longer history of failing to make Arizona students a priority. Matt Gress, Republican State Representative for LD4, had a direct hand in crafting Arizona’s budgets while serving as the Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting (OSPB), an organization that prepares and advises the Governor on the budget. As a member of the House of Representatives, Gress continued his trend of placing the needs of Arizona public schools at the bottom:
When Gress joined OSPB in 2017, Arizona spent $4,000 less than average and ranked 48th in per-pupil funding. Considering only base funding, Arizona spent less than $3,700 per student. That year, Arizona’s public schools were ranked 43rd in the nation.
Gress later sponsored the Pay Teachers First plan, a proposal with no teeth as it didn’t include a sustained funding source for raising teacher salaries. It left out support staff who are vital to the success of our teachers. And it failed to address the aggregate expenditure limit, which could have prevented schools from even providing raises.
The most recent numbers show Arizona spent $5,000 less than average ($1,000 worse than 2017) and ranked 49th in per-pupil funding. Adjusted for inflation, Arizona increased base-level spending by just over $300. This year, Arizona was ranked 51st in the nation for public education, a drop of eight spots in the rankings. And Arizona’s teacher shortage crisis has gotten worse.
Arizona can do better than politicians like Matt Gress who have failed to support Arizona’s schools. This November, Arizona voters have the power to elect leaders who recognize the importance of public education and will stand up for students who deserve to have fully funded schools, safe classrooms, and qualified, permanent teachers in the classroom.