Phoenix, Arizona - This year, Arizona’s fiscally conservative, balanced budget added $660 million new dollars to K-12 public schools, bringing the total new dollars added to public education since 2015 to $4.5 billion.
This year’s investments included:
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$165 million to fully fund 20 percent teacher pay raises by school year 2020,
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$136 million to speed up the restoration of recession-era cuts to District and Charter Additional Assistance,
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$88 million for school building renewal,
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$76 million for new school construction,
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$30 million in new dollars for high-performing schools through results based funding,
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$20 million to hire more school counselors and cops on campus,
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$10 million to grow Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at public high schools,
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$1.5 million in permanent funds for Foster Youth Education,
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$800,000 to hire 10 new employees at the State Board for Charter Schools,
- And $700,000 for county juvenile detention center education programs.
With new dollars added to fulfill the second phase of teacher pay raises, school districts across Arizona are following through on, and exceeding, Arizona's commitment to provide teachers 20 percent pay raises by school year 2020.
Arizona this year also invested $15 million to expand the Arizona Teachers Academy, which waives tuition and fees for students who agree to teach in an Arizona public school after they graduate. Governor Ducey launched the program in 2017 to tackle the nationwide teacher shortage and provide financial support to Arizona’s future teachers. In the 2018-2019 school year, 464 students enrolled in the program — more than double the previous year.
Arizona recognizes the importance of providing students hands-on skills needed to succeed in the workforce and postsecondary education. Governor Ducey’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget invested $10 million to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings across Arizona. Through a grant program, high schools with CTE programs will receive up to $1,000 for each student who graduates with a certification in specific industries. The budget also invested $20 million to expand Pima Community College’s Aviation Technology Program and $5.8 million to expand Maricopa Community College’s healthcare offerings.
In September, Governor Ducey signed the Mitch Warnock Act, expanding suicide prevention and awareness training throughout Arizona schools. The bill requires school districts and charter schools to provide training in suicide awareness and prevention to school guidance counselors, teachers, principals and other school personnel who work with students in grades 6 through 12.
