Advocacy

The Arizona Charter Schools Association is committed to improving the political and regulatory landscape for charter operators at the local, state, and federal levels.

Charter students are funded, on average, 20% less than the average district student meaning Arizona is funding charter students approximately $1,600 less per student when considering all K-12 revenue sources. For more information on the gross inequities affecting Arizona’s 1 million K-12 students, visit www.studentequitynow.org.

The student and parents of 20 school children who are suing the state because of gross funding inequities recently achieved a significant court win. Plaintiffs won when the defendants (State of Arizona, Superintendent of Education in his official capacity, State Board of Education, Arizona School Boards Association and Creighton Elementary School District No. 14) filed a Motion to Dismiss. See Court Order

While explaining the unconstitutional and unfair funding differences in Arizona’s K-12 system of finance that was last overhauled in 1980 when Arizona only had one fax machine in the whole state is the Association’s top priority, the Association is also advocating for several statutory changes.

The Association will actively advocate for a tax exemption of charter consumption of food and drink. Arizona statute allows a tax exemption for school district consumption of food and drink, but that tax exemption has not been extended to charter schools. The Arizona Department of Revenue stated charter schools are taxed for the consumption listed in A.R.S § 42-5061, and the Association will work with policy makers to remove this tax.

The second statutory change is to create additional authorizers for charter schools.

Visit the Political Action Center to:

·         Keep up-to-date on legislation that affects charter schools
·         Get FY 2011 budget information for charter schools
·         Learn how to organize a legislative visit

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