Arizona’s public charter schools scored a number of budget victories during the recent legislative session, including freezing the Small School Weight and increasing additional assistance funding.
However, these victories will be rendered moot if voters don’t approve Proposition 123 on May 17.
Prop 123 would infuse $3.5 billion in additional education funding for all public schools within 10 years, including a boost to base level funding this fiscal year. For charter schools, the proposition would provide about $68 million within the next two fiscal years, raising the base level to more than $3,600 per student.
If Prop 123 fails, funding will be cut $4.8 million for charter schools.
Arizona’s charters have built tremendous positive momentum within the last year, with many publications ranking our schools among the best in the country, and charter students outperforming their peers on local and national assessments.
Arizona charter students outperformed every other state on the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress. On eighth grade mathematics, for instance, Arizona charter students scored in a statistical dead heat with Massachusetts, the highest scoring of the 50 states.
Charter students also outperformed the state average of students passing the AzMERIT English Language Arts and Math by 5-12 percentage points at every grade level. Furthermore, 49 out of the top 50 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with the highest percentage of students passing those exams are charters.
Arizona’s charters have graced the top of school rankings published by U.S. News and World Report, the Phoenix Business Journal and other publications.
Prop 123 is essential to continuing this momentum and ensuring the success of our charter students.
Make sure to vote yes on May 17.
