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CAN Alert: The Promise to Fund Public Education MUST be Kept
In June of 2022, the Arizona Legislature passed a historic FY2023 budget that provides an additional $800 million dollars to provide much-needed funding for special education, school safety, teacher pay, and facility repairs.
But – if the Legislature doesn’t vote to override the Constitutional Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL) by March 1, Arizona schools will have to reduce their budgets by a combined total of $1.3 billion. School officials find themselves asking the question, “What do we do if our funding is drastically reduced at the 11th hour?” Without an override, schools are not able to be certain that all the money the Legislature appropriated to them will be available at the end of the fiscal year.
Earlier this fall, over 190 school superintendents contacted the Arizona Legislature to thank them for the increase in public education funding, and to ask them to lift the aggregate expenditure limit so that schools could access all of the funding provided for them in the bi-partisan budget. The support is there, but now it is time to act and a special legislative session needs to be called to address the Constitutional Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL).
How can we help?
We need you to take action and call on our Governor and our Legislators to override this limit and fulfill the promises that were made to Arizona’s students.
Sample Wording
As a concerned {parent/educator/etc}, I’m asking you to keep your promise to hold a special session so that our legislators who committed to voting for an override of the Aggregate Expenditure Limit can do so. This is imperative so that school districts like mine are able to make commitments of funding to raise teacher salaries, hire school nurses, school counselors, and other key staff that serve students every day. Without an override, we are not able to be certain that all the money the Legislature appropriated to us will be there at the end of the fiscal year. I am asking you to honor your commitment or your colleagues’ commitment to fund public education. Ultimately, the people who are hurt most by a failure to override the AEL are the students, who will lose valuable learning time.
Call Governor Ducey
Call (602)-542-4331 or (520) 628-6580 to leave a message for the Governor.
Fax Governor Ducey
Fax a letter to (602) 542-7601 to be heard
Write Governor Ducey
Address letters to the Arizona Office of the Governor – Constituent Services
1700 W Washington St Ste 250
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2806.
Contact Governor Ducey
Visit www.azgovernor.gov and click ‘Contact’ to send a message to Governor Ducey
Contact Your District Legislators
Continue to urge your Arizona State Legislators to support the AEL Override and to honor their commitment to fund public education:
How do I find or contact my Legislator?
- If you know your legislators, click here.
- If you do not know your legislators:
- Find your district from 2011 Redistricting Maps (includes 55th Legislature):
- Click here to find the legislative district you live in by entering your address and zip code located at the lower left corner. When you click on this link you are leaving the Arizona State Legislature website and being redirected to the website for the Redistricting Committee. We have no control over their website.
- Find your district from 2022 Redistricting Maps:
- Click here to find the legislative district you live in by entering your address and zip code located at the upper left corner. When you click on this link you are leaving the Arizona State Legislature website and being redirected to the website for the Redistricting Committee. We have no control over their website.
- Find your district from 2011 Redistricting Maps (includes 55th Legislature):
- After you find your district, return to this page and click here. Find the district you are looking for to identify your legislators.
Thank you for your continued support and effort to advocate for Arizona’s students, teachers, schools, and districts.
Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented
Advocacy Task Force