As the critical teacher shortage continues in Arizona, lawmakers are looking at ways to increase their pay. But how they want to do that differs between political parties and ultimately may be decided by the voter.
“The entire system does need funding. The entire system is working off the backs of people who are getting paid very poorly. We need to have a serious conversation if we want to save public education,” said Marisol Garcia, the president of the Arizona Education Association, the state’s largest teacher’s union.
Proposition 123 is expiring this year. The initiative was passed 10 years ago, allowing 6.9% of the State Land Trust to go toward K-12 education. That is estimated to be about $300 million.
Lawmakers had proposals last year but none passed the legislature.
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State Representative Matt Gress said he and Senator J.D. Mesnard introduced mirroring bills to renew Prop 123 this year at the same 6.9% distribution rate, wanting to send the $300 million to schools to be used only for teacher pay.
Gress said that’d be an estimated raise of more than $4,000 per teacher.
“Bringing us above the national average both in terms of the starting teacher pay and average teacher pay,” Gress said.
Democrats have a different proposal. State Senator Eva Diaz proposed a “clean extension” of Prop 123, keeping it at 6.9% as well, but allowing districts to use the money however they see fit.
“It allows school districts to decide how the funding is allocated,” Diaz told ABC15. “It can be used for certified staff, classified staff or any operations around schools or districts.”
The bills are currently making their way through the legislature. Governor Katie Hobbs has previously signaled support for raising pay for all educational staff, not just teachers.
“I think there's more work to be done on those [bills] but I feel confident we will get a proposal to the voter that funds our schools,” she said.
While Gress hears the urge to also include all educational staff, he believes getting teachers a higher salary is critical.
“At the end of the day, however, we have a finite amount of resources, and the most critical workforce challenge is our K-12 classroom teachers,” he continued. “We’re working on ways that allow us to raise teacher pay while giving other financial flexibilities that exist with current moneys for schools to make compensation adjustments for non-teaching personnel.”
What happens if Prop 123 doesn’t get extended for another 10 years? Gress said the K-12 budget will not be in trouble as they’ve filled that $300 million that was from the State Land Trust with money from the general fund beginning July 1.
If a resolution is passed by the legislature it will need to be voted on by taxpayers.
