A total of 191 school superintendents throughout Arizona, including those of nine major school districts in Pima County, are calling on state legislators to hold a special session to lift schools’ aggregate expenditure limit.
As it stands, the limit, known as AEL, could cost public schools an estimated $1.3 billion during the current fiscal year, according to the two letters written to Gov. Doug Ducey and to House and Senate members.
“We respectfully ask that a special session be called prior to the general election with the purpose of fixing the AEL. Specifically we would ask that the AEL be lifted for one more year,” one of the letters states.
The school administrators said failure to address the AEL would threaten districts’ abilities to cover teacher pay raises, minimum wage increases, funding for capital projects and continued work to improve school safety.
The following nine school superintendents, as well as Pima County Schools Superintendent Dustin Williams, signed the two letters dated Sept. 6:
Todd Jaeger, Amphitheater Unified School District
Mary Kamerzell, Catalina Foothills School District
Kevin Stoltzfus, Flowing Wells Unified School District
Dan Streeter, Marana Unified School District
Manuel Valenzuela, Sahuarita Unified School District
Jose Gastelum, Sunnyside Unified School District
Scott Hagerman, Tanque Verde Unified School District
Gabriel Trujillo, Tucson Unified School District
John Carruth, Vail Unified School District
The AEL, according to the Arizona School Administrators group, was enacted in 1980 to set a cap on statewide school spending.
Last year, state legislators narrowly met the deadline to waive the spending cap that would have otherwise instructed school districts to cut their budgets by an average of 16% across the board. This year, school districts are facing a 17% budget cut if the AEL is not lifted, the school administrators group said.
Sunnyside board opening
The Pima County Schools Superintendent’s Office is now reviewing candidates for one open seat on the Sunnyside Unified School District governing board after a board member resigned.
Lisette Nunez, who was elected as a board member in 2020, submitted her resignation earlier this month. Her term was set to expire in 2024.
Schools Superintendent Dustin Williams “will now review and consider any qualified candidate who is interested in filling the vacancy,” the county office said in a news release.
It added that, under state law, the current governing board members may submit up to three names for consideration to fill the vacancy. However, the county schools superintendent is not required to appoint from that list.
Candidates who would like to be considered for the vacancy must submit an affidavit of qualification and candidate appointment questionnaire to the Schools Superintendent’s Office by Sept. 30 at 5 p.m.
For more information or to find an application packet, visit www.schools.pima.gov/elections.
The chosen candidate will serve from the day of appointment through Dec. 31, 2024.
The election this year to fill two vacancies on the Sunnyside Unified School District governing board was previously canceled due to the races being uncontested. That means incumbent Consuelo Hernandez will be reappointed to her seat and former board member Roberto Jaramillo will also serve on the board once again.
They will join current board members Matthew Taylor and Beki Quintero, whose terms end in 2024.
Student scientist
Local middle school student Taran Hogan of Saint Cyril of Alexandria School was chosen as one of the Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS after participating in a science competition for middle school students.
The Broadcom MASTERS (math, applied science, technology and engineering for rising stars) judges reviewed applications from more than 1,800 middle school students in 47 states before choosing the top 300 young scientists.
Each of the top 300 contestants will receive a $125 award from the Department of Defense.
Later this month, the judges will select 30 contestants as finalists who will then compete for different awards totaling a combined $100,000.
For more information, visit www.societyforscience.org.
