Page 15 - The Edge - Winter 2016
P. 15

Even if Prop. 123 Passes,

           We Still Have a Lot of Work to Do



           BY MIKE BARRAGAN




           Many of you may know or have heard us talk about our son  legislative changes so it can mitigate   nancial hardship to school
        Mikey and daughter Reagan. Mikey started his freshman year of  districts  and  impact  our  state’s students in  as  negligible  a  way
        high school this past August. He played on the freshman football  possible.
        team and was promoted from private to private   rst class in his high   To  start,  policymakers  should consider  li  ing  the  4  percent
        school’s Army JRTOC program.                           carry forwards and eliminate rolling over $1 billion of our students’
           Reagan is now in   rst grade and she enjoys school very much. She  money – no more IOUs. We must protect the solvency of our
        has been reading/writing since preschool and is now taking ballet.  Arizona school districts and be provided   nancial   exibility.    e
        Recently, Reagan sent me a text message from Jill’s phone unlike any  implementation of current year funding should be suspended until
        I had ever seen from her before. It wasn’t a just a word or two nor  reasonable solutions can be identi  ed.
        a series of “emojis.” Rather, it was a full text conversation. While it   Not only do we have current year funding to address, but also a
        seems like a small thing, it was rather eye-opening to have an actual  proposal that was given to the Governor’s Classroom First Council
        text conversation with my   rst grade daughter. Wow, did I feel old!   that transforms our equitable funding formula to a more simplistic
           If you can’t tell by now, Jill and I are very proud parents. We love  formula, which eliminates bonds and overrides from its current
        that our work allows us to have an impact on their future, as well as  form. We must clearly and as frequently as possible communicate
        for other students in this great state.                the consequences of these two ideas.
           As most parents do, I re  ected on my children, their education   As members of the Arizona Association of School Business
        and their futures. And that’s when I realized Mikey’s education  O   cials, we have a responsibility not only to promote the highest
        hasn’t been fully funded since he was in second grade.  Reagan’s has  standards of school business management, but also to provide
        never been fully funded. Assume for a minute that Proposition 123 is  professional leadership within our schools, communities and, when
        approved by voters in May.    at still does not restore K-12 funding to  necessary, provide legislative leadership. I am a   rm believer that
        the appropriate levels. Let’s not forget District Additional Assistance  collectively and strategically we should be fostering relationships
        is being reduced by 85 percent and the School Facilities Board has  with policymakers in order to strengthen our school   nance system.
        not been fully funded in several years. Our students need many  We cannot stand on the sidelines and watch our equitable funding
        capital items, such as transportation vehicles, ebooks, computers,  formula be transformed to something it was never intended to be. A
        or instructional aides, and our buildings require renovations and  one-size-  ts-all formula is not the solution.
        upgrades. We must also be mindful of the classroom site fund that   Friends, we can no longer be the silent majority and allow
        expires in 2021.    inking long-term will provide us the greatest  changes to be made without our input. We must communicate our
        advantage in dealing with school   nance concerns.     concerns and ideas in a manner that is constructive and not divisive.
           As business o   cials, we have an obligation to protect our taxpayers’  I encourage all of us to unite – let’s work together to be one strong
        investment while creating a conducive learning environment for our  voice for our children so that we may strengthen our education
        children. We have a lot of work to do and it will not be easy li  ing.  system. To do otherwise, we risk sending the wrong message to our
        For example, in   scal year 2017, unless the Legislature intervenes,  citizens and to our elected o   cials. I hope that you’re asking yourself,
        the state is required to implement current year funding while at the  “What can I do?”  Be active, communicate with your community,
        same time, the Arizona Department of Education transitions from  meet and talk to your legislators and attend meetings that attempt
        SAIS (Student Accountability Information System) to AZEDs  to change our school   nance system – be visible.
        (Arizona Education Data Standards). As some of you expressed   Jill and I love Arizona because it is a state full of opportunity and
        during the November bi-monthly meeting, implementing current  has a  orded us the opportunity to live the American dream. We
        year funding and AZEDs simultaneously could exponentially  believe that education is the greatest resource we can provide our
        increase the possibilities of funding errors.          children. Jim Collins says, “We cannot predict the future. But we can
           Current year funding without the appropriate infrastructure  create it.”  I’m convinced that collectively we can create a sustainable
        would be   nancially challenging for school districts because of  education funding system that our children can inherit from us and
        the cash, tax rate and budget capacity concerns, not to mention  continue to make Arizona the greatest state.
        school districts that are declining in enrollment. We realize district
        operations will have to change if moved to current year funding.  Mike Barragan is Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Auxiliary
        However, we must be prudent in the manner in which we implement   Services, Glendale Elementary School District.


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