Override School Spending Limit

The Arizona Legislature needs to override the constitutional aggregate expenditure limit by March 1, 2022, or school districts across Arizona will need to cut a total of nearly $1.2 billion (16%) from their budgets this year. I urge you to take action by overriding the spending cap for this school year and find a permanent solution by referring it to the ballot to repeal or increase the spending cap. Please hear the bills that authorize the override for this year (SCR1022 / HCR2012) and repeal the limit (SCR1023). Schools need to avoid budget cuts this year and in the future. These cuts would be devastating for our students and would impact extracurriculars, specialized programs like Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate, and staffing shortages and pay. Our public schools' funding should not be limited by a decades old funding formula that does not meet the needs of our students today. I urge you to take action by overriding the spending cap for this school year and find a permanent solution by referring it to the ballot to repeal or increase the spending cap.