PHOENIX — In an effort to make public school teacher salaries more competitive with other states, Republican lawmakers are pushing to have voters decide on extending Prop 123 funding for another 8 to 10 years. That announcement was made Monday afternoon at the state capitol.
If your child is a public school student and is being taught by a qualified teacher, consider yourself lucky.
A survey done by the Arizona School Personnel Administrations Association found 6,000 Arizona classrooms are missing a qualified teacher. The exodus of teachers to schools in other states is now in its eighth year. Arizona continues to lag behind in teacher salaries in other states.
In their plan to extend Prop 123, Republicans say they will direct all of the funding to teacher salaries.
"It priorities teachers as the first ones to be funded and the first ones to receive 100% of the hopefully voter-approved renewal," State Senator Ken Bennett said. Bennett is the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee.
Lawmakers predict the additional revenue will generate $301 million in available funding by fiscal year 2026. Voters will have to decide on extending Prop 123 in November 2024. If it passes, the money for pay raises becomes available in the summer of 2025.
Voters originally passed Prop 123 in 2015. It was to provide a permanent fund source for K-12. Lawmakers predict the additional revenue will generate $301 million dollars in available funding, raising teacher salaries by roughly $4,000 a year.
Dr. Paul Tighe, the Executive Director of Arizona School Administrators, said, "The legislative leaders recognize there is a problem with the teacher shortage and with teacher compensation so that is a positive." But Dr. Tighe and the Arizona Education Association agree the devil will be in the details.
AEA President Marizol Garcia said "Just like classroom teachers, our education support professionals are seriously underpaid, leading to shortages that impact our students every day. The people who open our schools in the morning, and who close our schools each night, deserve to be included in any proposed raise. We look forward to learning more.”
Senate President Warren Petersen said there are still details that need to be worked out, like what defines a teacher and how to ensure school boards don't take the money and spend it on something else.