PHOENIX — A major group of education professionals decided Wednesday that it is no longer interested in suing the state over funding questions.
The board of the Arizona Association of School Business voted to withdraw as a plaintiff in the case asking a judge to rule the state is not meeting its constitutional obligations to properly fund school construction. The move comes a day after Gov. Doug Ducey offered a plan to restore at least some of the dollars that have been cut from state aid to public schools.
In a prepared statement, the board said it does not question that a “critical” need remains for capital funding dollars.
“Moreover, AASBO does not debate the fact that there are responsibilities our state leaders must abide by and solutions that need to be found to address these responsibilities,” it says.
But the board concluded the governor’s plan, if enacted, “brings immediate relief to our school districts versus waiting for the outcome of the lawsuit.”
The action does not end the lawsuit. Several plaintiffs remain, including the Arizona School Boards Association, the Arizona Education Association, the Crane, Elfrida and Glendale elementary school districts, and the Chino Valley Unified School District.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin is set to hear arguments on Friday.
But the move undermines what had been a united front by various education groups, all of whom contend the state, in making a series of spending cuts through the last decade totaling more than $1 billion, acted illegally.
On Tuesday, Ducey announced a plan to eventually restore full funding for the “district additional assistance” account to bring it back to the $371 million that it should be in state law. This account provides money for things like textbooks, computers, school buses and some capital funding.
The governor also proposes to put $88 million into the budget for new school construction and $35.2 million to augment the funds available to schools for repairs.
That package, though short of what the lawsuit contends schools need and are owed, was enough to convince the business officials to drop out of the lawsuit.
“We believe this is a sign of good faith to the governor for a plan that we believe has a high degree of success and validity,” the statement reads.
The business officials concede that even if Ducey gets lawmakers to approve what he wants, that doesn’t resolve all of the financial problems facing the schools. But they said it opens a dialogue with the governor they hope “will yield other fruitful discussions.”
