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In our recent op-ed in the Arizona Capitol Times, we called on the Governor and legislature to address the school spending limit, the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL).
“The AEL has become a political football used for negotiations when it should be a simple, procedural vote that allows schools to spend the funds they were already given. Recently, it was said that there are other priorities the governor would like to accomplish in addition to the AEL, which may include increasing funding for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. This wasn’t a part of the original deal.
Through this year’s budget there was agreement to provide $800 million in funding to schools with a promise that the AEL would be addressed. Now, halfway through the school year, we are still without any action or movement for this year. The promise made has been broken and is putting these new investments and more, totaling $1.3 billion, at risk of being cut from school budgets this year.”
“Ideally, the AEL will be addressed by the end of the year, but if not, the governor-elect and Legislature should make it one of their first priorities when they are seated in January. It should be done cleanly and without reforms. This is not the time or the place to find political opportunity — this is the time for us to give certainty back to our schools and know they can spend the funds they have been given, without worrying about school closures or staff furloughs.”
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