Districts look toward first payment under $1.6 billion ruling on school funding

PHOENIX – Kyle McQuaid, chief financial officer for the Roosevelt Unified Elementary School District, said he hopes to see expanded academic enrichment programs next school year, such as after school tutoring services. He also wants the district to lure more highly qualified teachers by offering competitive salaries.

Daniel O’Brien, chief financial officer for the Scottsdale Unified School District, said he hopes his district can beef up special programs such as art and music that were reduced this school year.

Kent Frison, Cave Creek Unified School District‘s associate superintendent of operations and finance, said he wants to be able to increase employees’ salaries to make up for years without providing raises.

After the Arizona Supreme Court found that lawmakers failed to make voter-approved annual inflation adjustments to the funding formula during the Great Recession, a judge ordered the state to provide public schools and immediate $317 million in new funding and a total of $1.6 billion over five years. A hearing set for October is to determine whether the state has to pay back $1.3 billion that the high court said that public schools were shorted over four years.