Arizona Education Network

In another blow to fiscal responsibility in AZ, four bills have successfully passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee in recent weeks, which would expand the private school tax-credit program if adopted. Three of these bills would increase private school tax-credit contributions allowing an approximate loss of $60 million to Arizona’s general fund, and would require nearly 8,000 students to transfer from a public school to a private school in order for these programs to be, at best, budget neutral.

Arizona Education Network takes a closer look at the private school tax credit program and its history in order to understand the evolution of the program, the issues that have been raised and the potential changes in the future.

Education Week has recently released its annual Report Card on American public education, and it shows mixed results for Arizona.

The Arizona Republic reported that private school tuition tax credits that are earmarked for individual students may be in violation of federal law.

A bi-partisan task force met in the House today for a second hearing covering investigations of School Tuition Organizations (STOs) and reform of the private-school tax credit program.

On Wednesday 10/21/09, the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed its April 2009 decision that the Arizona School Tuition Organizations Program for private schools is unconstittutional.

The Arizona Republic and the East Valley Tribune have each published their respective analysis on private school tax credits, school tuition organizations (STOs), how they are meeting the spirit or intent of the tax credit legislation, transparency of programs and costs, and the players/organizations involved.

Public Education & The AZ Constitution–It’s Indisputable!
Why did some Arizona Legislators sign a “No Tax Pledge” that puts them in direct conflict with the Arizona Constitution they are sworn to uphold?

Arizona’s public school standing in the educational world has been slipping over the last decade, to the point where it has now reached a crisis point in funding, ideology and prioritizing. It needs to be stated and reiterated that public education was vital to our Arizona founders, who recognized the integral relationship between a strong public education system and the viability of Arizona as a state.

The following article is a rebuttal of sorts to information that has been disbursed by not only the president of the senate, but some legislators and special interest groups. It contains information on pupil funding, teacher salary, school rankings and other subjects that need truthful clarity.

Personal and Corporate Tax Credits & STOs: What they are and how they work.

Glen Kerslake of DM-50, Lawrence Portouw of Ft. Huachuca-50 and Steve Yamamori of Fighter County Partnership write a letter to Governor Jan Brewer highlighting the possible ramifications to the military installations in Arizona if the education cuts the legislature is proposing pass.