Facing a March deadline that could bring school closures, Arizona state representatives on Tuesday approved a one-time lift of the state’s constitutional cap on public school spending.
Public schools across Arizona face a constitutional spending cap that districts warn will hobble classrooms if lawmakers don’t approve the measure allowing them to spend more than the voter-approved cap on school expenditures.
House Concurrent Resolution 2001, sponsored by Globe Republican David Cook, allows school districts to spend more than the constitutional expenditure limitation for the 2022-2023 school year. With Democrats unified, 16 Republicans proved enough to surpass the two-thirds majority requirement.
Cook presented the resolution matter-of-factly, saying that lifting the cap is part of the Legislature’s most important function of passing a budget.
More than a dozen Republican lawmakers dissented, saying the issue wasn’t the cap but rather that districts had mismanaged funds.
“We need systemic reforms in our state education system like financial transparency, and classroom first funding,” said Rep. Austin Smith, R-Wittmann. “We need real reform now.”
Democrats released a statement after the vote.
“House Democrats applaud the bipartisan passage of this measure and urge the Senate to take immediate action in order to avert school shutdowns on March 1st,” House Minority Leader Andrés Cano said. “Since Day One of this legislature, Democrats have been asking for a simple vote to keep schools open – a month later, we’re pleased to see House Republicans join us to support the one million kids in our public schools.”
If the Senate approves its version, schools will be able to spend the more than $1.3 billion appropriated to them by state lawmakers in a compromise struck between parties and former Gov. Doug Ducey last fall.
After delaying the vote twice due to lawmaker illness, the Senate is expected to consider its version of the resolution Wednesday.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
