PEORIATIMES.COM
February 27, 2015
School districts look to hire through job fairs
By STERLING FLUHARTY, Staff Writer | 0 comments
The season for school district job fairs has begun.
That will probably be welcome news for the 143 teachers the Dysart Unified School District
expects to lay off in the coming months, after its budget override failed in the last general
election.
“Dysart will be offering the employees who were impacted by the reduction in force an
opportunity to apply for 2015-2016 vacant positions that will be made available due to yearly
attrition,” said Polly Corsino, a DUSD spokesperson.
“This group of employees will be given priority when applying for these positions,” she added.
Dysart has 13 job openings listed on its website.
Glendale Elementary School District held a job fair Feb. 21 to fill a variety of positions. The
district has 54 openings for certified staff and 36 for support staff, according to postings on its
website.
Glendale Union High School District will host a job fair Feb. 28 at Cortez High School in
Phoenix. Walk-ins are welcome, but applicants should complete an online application and
contact Human Resources, says the GUHSD website.
“Last year we had close to 200 teachers attend our teacher job fair. We are expecting the same
number to attend,” said Kim Mesquita, a GUHSD spokesperson.
“We do not have a number of how many jobs will be available at this point. Over the last 2-3
years we have hired between 70-80 teachers,” she added.
The GUHSD website lists 12 certified openings and 13 classified openings.
Jobseekers might find more opportunities at Deer Valley Unified School District, which is hosting
an April 11 job fair and attending nine other career fairs across the state over the next few
months.
“We currently have 2 administrative/supervisory positions, 138 certified positions and 77
classified positions posted for next school year,” said Ashley Morris, a district spokesperson.
Peoria Unified School District, as one of the largest districts in the state, could hire the most
employees this year. The district will host its own job fair Apr. 7.
“We have 114 openings already known, and are anticipating close to 250 hires for the 2015-16
school year,” said Erin Dunsey, a PUSD spokesperson.
PUSD will also participate in job fairs at University of Phoenix Feb. 28, Grand Canyon University
Mar. 5 and Arizona State University’s West campus Mar. 24, as well as several out-of-state
recruiting events, she added.
PRESCOTT NEWS
February 28, 2015
Badgers Softball Wins Tournament
Championship
Carly Ross File Photo
Prescott softball starts season 5-0. Badgers Baseball wins 4th in a
row.
This season could be something special if the the first weekend is any indication. The Prescott
softball team won the Sun Blast tournament held at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem. Prescott
won all five games to start the season.
Saturday Results
The Badgers beat Saguaro 15-2. Carly Ross was winning pitcher. Delayne Marshall went 3-3 with a
HR and 2 RBI. Cristina Banqualos 3-3 with 3 RBI's and Carly Ross had a grand slam. We beat Gila
Ridge 12-7. Kendall Schwartz got the win. Gave up 7 hits 3 k's. Miquelle Pierce 3-3 with 2 HR's 4
RBI's, Ashlyn Uvila 2-3 3 RBI's and Kendal Schwartz 2-3.
Friday Results
The Badgers beat Maricopa 6-1. Carly Ross was the winning pitcher, giving up 5 hits, and striking
out 2.
Prescott picked up six hits. Two each by Ashlyn Uvila, and Evelyn Morales. Uvila had an RBI. In the
second game of the day, Prescott beat Casa Grande 11-3. Kendall Schwartz got the win, striking out
3, while giving up only 4 hits. Xenia Franco went 3-3, with 2 RBI's. Miquelle Pierce 2-4, including 2
HR's 4 RBI's, Carly Ross 2-3, 2 RBI's.
Thursday Results
Prescott beat Catalina Foothills 6-5. In a come from behind win, the Badgers made it happen in the
bottom of the 5th. Kendall Schwartz was the winning pitcher with 6 strikeouts, while only giving up 3
hits, and no earned runs.
Prescott produced 8 hits. Delayne Marshall went 2-3 with a double and a triple and 3 RBI's. Bailey
Beuchat 2-3 with 1 RBI.
Baseball
The Prescott Badgers baseball team improved to (4-1) on the season, by knocking off Marcos De
Niza 8-4 at the Harold Bull Classic in Tempe.
Matt Mendibles pitched 4 innings to pick up the win, while also picking up 2 hits, and 2 RBIs. Jacob
Eder had a hit and 2 RBIs, and Garrett Schulz had an RBI. After dropping their season opener, the
Badgers have won 4 in a row.
YOURWESTVALLEY.COM
MARCH 2, 2015
Outlets at Anthem serves up breakfast with
Cat in the Hat
Staff report
To celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday, Outlets at Anthem is hosting Breakfast with the Cat in the Hat and activities
for the whole family.
On March 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., guests can enjoy green eggs and ham, storytime and photo
opportunities with the Cat in the Hat. Tickets are $5, and proceeds benefit the Deer Valley Education
Foundation.
Breakfast, prepared by Charley’s Philly Steaks, includes green eggs, ham, hash browns and a drink. Free
activities include Dr. Seuss themed crafts with the North Valley Library, balloon artists, face painting, games
and a reading circle with the Daisy Mountain Firefighters. In addition, there will be DVD giveaways for the
new Tinkerbell movie, and crafts with the new Cinderella movie. Shoppers can check out discounted store
deals all day long.
“Celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday is a fun way to get kids excited about reading,” said Sallyann Martinez,
Outlets at Anthem marketing director. “We are pleased to partner with the Deer Valley Unified School District
to help promote literacy.”
In addition, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Macaroni Kids will have their Spring Festival with an array of activities
including vendors, inflatables, a game truck, dance, cheer and gymnastics performances, and a DJ with music
and onstage interactive activities.
Also, going on March 1-24 (while supplies last), shoppers who spend $200 or more in same day receipts at
Outlets at Anthem can receive two free ticket vouchers to attend a spring training baseball game at Peoria
Sports Complex. Stop by the Customer Service Desk for more details.
Outlets at Anthem is located in Phoenix off the 1-17, 15 minutes north of Loop 101, at Anthem Way Exit 229.
For information, visit www.outletsanthem.com or Facebook.com/OutletsatAnthem.
AZCENTRAL.COM
MARCH 2, 2015
Volleyball
Obert: Division I boys volleyball preseason
rankings
By: Richard Obert March 2, 2015
The boys volleyball season begins Tuesday. Here are azcentral sports’ preseason rankings:
No. 1 Phoenix Brophy Prep: More balance, not reliant on one or two players to put away
points.
No. 2 Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor: Outside hitter Kaelon Lattomus will lead a fast, savvy
group that lost to Hamilton in the state tournament.
No. 3 Gilbert Perry: Might have state’s best libero in Michael Hoffman to go with Cameron
Harris at setter and hitters Wyatt Veach, Derek Smith and Loren McClure.
No. 4 Mesa Mountain View: One of the few teams not rebuilding.
No. 5 Chandler Hamilton: Lost five of seven starters, but chemistry is good with setter/righthitter Scotty Wiest and outside hitter Sam Haggard leading the way.
Related: Brophy Prep enters wide-open boys volleyball season No. 1
No. 6 Gilbert Highland: Max Pothier is an imposing figure around the net at 6-6.
No. 7 Vail Cienega: May take awhile for the basketball players to transition, but this is an
athletic bunch with sophomore setter McLain Mott, who is maybe the best player in Southern
Arizona.
No. 8 Phoenix Desert Vista: Expected to bounce back big from a losing season with senior
leadership.
No. 9 Anthem Boulder Creek: Big loss with POY Ryne Benson moving to California, but this
team isn’t exactly starting over after winning state.
No. 10 Mesa Desert Ridge: Rebuilding around the net after going 23-9 last year, but libero
Mitchel Worthington provides leadership.
Photos: Arizona high school boys volleyball 2014
Boulder Creek players celebrate their Division I boys volleyball state championship over Mesa
High on Saturday, May 17, 2014 in Gilbert. Boulder Creek won 3-1.
STATEMANJOURNAL
MARCH 3, 2015
Former Sprague baseball coach Bill
Baumgartner dies
In the year-ending golf outing among teachers from Sprague High School, Bill Baumgartner was
the guy everyone wanted on their team.
Baumgartner – who died Tuesday at the age of 65 in Phoenix, Ariz. – was best known as
Sprague’s baseball coach for 17 years, but he was the kind of guy who could will his team to
wins in any arena.
Baumgartner spent 26 years as a head baseball coach between Henley and Sprague, building a
408-257 career record and three state championships.
“As a teacher and coach he was a great mentor,” said Sprague wrestling coach Kary Hadden, a
former student of Baumgartner at North Salem. “He was able to teach the kids the game of
baseball, and I think he was a coach that these kids definitely looked up to for leadership.
“He loved the game dearly. I always told him he was a part-time farmer. He’d be up on the
weekends working and keeping the field nice for the kids to play on.”
A memorial service will take place at 1 p.m. March 16 at Morning Star Community Church in
Salem.
Baumgartner has been inducted into three halls of fame: the Oregon High School Coaches
Association Hall of Fame, the Sprague High School Hall of Fame and the Henley High School
Hall of Fame.
A native of Tillamook, he graduated from Oregon College of Education (now Western Oregon)
in 1972 and started teaching and coaching at North Salem before being hired as head coach at
Henley in 1976.
At Henley he had a career record of 127-103, won three league championships and state
championships in 1981 and 1983.
Baumgartner came to Sprague in 1986, where he taught health, and coached at the school for 17
years ending in 2002. His teams went 281-154, reached the state playoffs in 14 of his 17 years,
won four Valley League titles and the state championship in 1995.
“The biggest impact from a baseball impact he had on me was his love of the game, his
knowledge of the game and his ability spread that love and that knowledge to all of his players
and coaches, and even to the parents on the sidelines,” said Withnell Dodgers coach Jason
Searle, who played on the 1995
“I played and went on and played college and now coaching myself, there’s always the baseball
connection, but that was another great thing about coach Baumgartner, there was always
something more for me personally that I was able to connect with him outside of baseball.”
Baumgartner is survived by wife Diane, a former administrator in Dallas; son Terry, the baseball
coach at Feather River College; son Jeff, the head baseball coach at Sandra Day O’Connor High
School in Phoenix; daughter Susie, a teacher at Luke Elementary in Phoenix; and seven
grandchildren.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or follow at twitter.com/bpoehler
VERDE INDEPENDENT
MARCH 3, 2015
Mingus softball
Mingus Union High School softball played Sunblast tournament at Boulder Creek High School
over the weekend. The Marauders went 2-2-1. The scores were, Mingus 10,Gila Ridge High
School 9, Mingus 5, Casa Grande High School 1, Boulder Creek High School 17, Mingus 0,
Rincon High School 8, Mingus 2 and Mingus 2, Cibola High School 2.
"I was pretty happy overall with everything," said head coach John Brown. The girls have a
lot of things to work on that's why we went to a preseason tournament. We did get a
chance to face a really good team in Boulder Creek. We have something to stride for in
playing someone like that. Cibola was a very good team also and we tied them. So I'm
happy about that. It worked out well."
Brown added that senior Sarah Ortiz was very impressive. Ortiz had two homeruns against
Cibola.
"She hit the ball really well all weekend," Brown said. "She just played very well all
weekend."
He mentioned that his team got strong innings out of starting pitcher Krista Earl.
"She pitched every game, every inning," Brown said. "She had a good weekend as well. In
five games, she had less than five earned runs total."
Next the Marauders will play their first game of the regular season at home on Thursday
against Payson High School.
ARIZONA REPUBLIC
MARCH 4, 2015
Foes of Common Core pledge to keep up fight
When two anti-Common Core bills failed recently in the state Legislature, Arizona school leaders breathed a
small sigh of relief.
It appeared that the education standards would once again withstand challenges by Arizona Republicans, and
that superintendents would not have to retrofit investments made in teacher training and equipment for yet
another set of new standards.
But the fight against Common Core, known in Arizona as the College and Career Ready Standards, is far from
over, say opponents, including “tea party” members and the Goldwater Institute, the Arizona-based think tank
that has championed repeal.
Opponents say the national standards are less rigorous than needed and vow to continue the fight to replace
Common Core with a better academic system, and point to another anti-Common Core bill that still lingers in
the Legislature.
Supporters of Common Core say getting rid of the standards would erase students’ academic gains and waste
thousands of dollars that districts spent on training and materials.
The standards were passed by the Arizona State Board of Education in 2010. They replace former math and
English language- arts standards that were gauged by Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards, or AIMS. A
new test, AzMERIT, will be given for the first time starting this month.
While AIMS measured basic mastery of math and English, the new test is expected to measure students’
preparation for college or careers.
The bills defeated by Senate Democrats and Republicans last week, SB 1305 and SB 1458, would have either
required a committee to review and recommend improvements to the standards or would have given schools
and districts the power to create and test their own individual standards. A similar bill — one that would have
prohibited Arizona from basing state standards on Common Core — was voted down in the Senate last year. In
both years, five Republican senators broke rank with their party and joined Democrats to defeat the bills.
Superintendents said they were relieved such changes failed and they would not to have to erase the
blackboard and start over with new standards.
“ Over the past four years, Isaac School District has spent approximately $900,000 in professional development
in preparing for” the standards, said Mario Ventura, superintendent of the low-income district in Phoenix.
“We have made changes to our curriculum, assessments, report cards and technology infrastructure to support
AzMERIT. A change at this time would be a stress for Isaac School District as well as all Arizona students and
teachers.”
Cave Creek Unified School District Superintendent Debbi Burdick said her middle-class northeast Valley district
has spent $2.3 million on teacher training and textbooks for the new standards.
“We have spent five years training our teachers on the more rigorous standards, purchasing curriculum that our
community, staff and board approved and then working on the higher order thinking, creativity and problemsolving skills that go along with the rigorous standards,” she said.
“We are now in our sixth year, and teachers and students are comfortable with the changes, and our students
continue to increase their achievement.”
Some parents join school officials in support of the new standards.
“Those against Common Core can say nothing specific other than ‘Common Core is bad,’ ” said Mesa resident
and Gilbert Public Schools parent Michelle Ferrell. They have “no facts or logic to back it up. The new
standards teach students to back up statements with both facts and logic.”
Tempe Elementary School District parent Jana Hutchinson said she is impressed with the deeper learning
going on in her son’s classroom at Rover Elementary.
“He has learned a bunch of different ways to solve problems involving fractions,” she said.
“It is not rote. I can’t even do some of the things he is doing,” Hutchinson said.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas ran on an anti-Common Core platform last fall, but
she has supported the least radical anti-Common Core bill in the Legislature.
Even though SB 1305 failed, Douglas still intends to create a committee of parents, teachers, students and
others to review the standards during public meetings around the state, said Arizona Department of Education
spokeswoman Sally Stewart.
“The superintendent feels that the historical cycle of completely overhauling standards every few years causes
stress for teachers and students and ultimately does more harm than good,” Stewart said. Committee meetings
“would become an annual process to gather input with the ultimate goal to cover all the standards in a
deliberate, meaningful and ongoing way and truly create Arizona standards.”
Still, tea-party and Goldwater Institute representatives say the Common Core fight is not over this year in the
Legislature.
Jonathan Butcher, education director for the Goldwater Institute, Gene Dufoe, of the Red Mountain Tea Party in
the southeast Valley, and Wesley Harris, of the North Phoenix Tea Party, say they are looking forward to
Senate hearings on HB 2190. It proposes eliminating the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards and
requiring schools and districts to go back to teaching lessons from 2009. “I believe the Common Core is lower
than the standards we had before,” Butcher said. “I don’t think the AIMS was the greatest test, but to say a set
of national standards is better is incorrect.”
Dufoe and Harris said they would like to see the standards repealed because they believe they are a federal
intrusion into state government.
“State standards? No, they are not,” Dufoe said. “They just changed the name.”
Arizona’s standards are based on the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which was developed by a
governors association and state school officials — the National Governors Association Center for Best
Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Still, tea-party members object to the standards because they connect federal funds to requirements that states
set standards and test children.
“It’s all about money,” Harris said. Dufoe said he thinks the debate could be resolved if the federal government
would simply allocate block grant funds to states and allow local officials to do what they choose with the
money.
Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education-policy think tank, said at a Feb. 26
national Education Writers Association conference on Common Core issues that he thinks the issue is less
about money than politics. “It’s (President Barack) Obama,” he said. “There is the sense that the federal
government is making states do this — that states are not respected.”
Petrilli said Tuesday that the defeat of the Senate bills last week were “important victories for Common Core
supporters.”
“I don’t think opponents will ever stop their attacks on these higher standards, but I am hopeful that this issue
will get put on the back burner,” Petrilli said. “But the important thing is that teachers can get back to the
business of educating kids, and stop worrying about whether the standards are going to change.”
Republic reporter Mary Beth Faller contributed to this article.
“I don’t think the AIMS was the greatest test, but to say a set of national standards is better is
incorrect.”
JONATHAN BUTCHER
GOLDWATER INSTITUTE
GLENDALE STAR
MARCH 5, 2015
Governor's budget negatively impacts students' lives
By Dr. James R. Veitenheimer, Superintendent Deer Valley Unified School District | 0 comments
The recent release of Governor Ducey’s proposed budget has caused quite a stir. All of us who
value education agree with the governor that we should do everything in our power to avoid making
cuts that will negatively impact classroom instruction; however, his proposed budget does exactly
that.
Over the past few weeks, I have heard misinformation and misrepresented data. There is much
confusion among parents, teachers, staff, and our community members, but if you look at the facts,
you will see that this budget will be felt in the classroom in harmful and devastating ways.
Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) will face approximately $4.5 million in cuts if Governor
Ducey’s proposal is adopted. The governor has said that he is using a “Classrooms First Initiative,
prioritizing funding for teachers and classroom instruction and ensuring maximum dollars are spent
where learning happens – in the classroom.”
In other words, our $4.5 million share of the cuts have to be attributed to “non-classroom” expenses.
What the governor fails to realize is that a high level of support which leads to academic excellence
also takes place every day outside of our classrooms.
This support includes: librarians who further children’s reading and academic goals; counselors who
help children meet their social and emotional needs, so they are prepared to learn; academic
facilitators, who help teachers -- especially our newest teachers -- utilize the most effective
instructional practices that lead to student achievement; nurses who ensure children are quickly and
accurately evaluated when sick; nutrition staff who provide students with healthy food; principals who
guide teachers and staff, meet with parents, and keep a school running smoothly; custodians and
maintenance staff who make sure our facilities are safe and sanitary; human resources employees
who hire teachers and school support staff; Bus Drivers who deliver children safely to school; payroll
staff who issue paychecks; and, even the electricity and air-conditioning which allow us to provide an
adequate learning environment.
DVUSD educates 34,000 students every day and spans 367 square miles. If we were a for-profit
business, we would be considered a large organization and would need all of the functions that a
large business would need. Our district leadership works on a tighter budget than a business, while
still performing all of the functions necessary to an organization that serves as many families as we
do.
The governor has said that he wants to promote fiscal responsibility. We have been recognized for
our efficiency in the School District Spending Report as calculated by the Arizona Office of the
Auditor General. DVUSD spends almost 5 percent more on instruction than the state average.
Furthermore, Arizona’s education system is already underfunded when compared to the rest of the
nation. If Arizona funded an equivalent of the national average per pupil, Arizona’s classroom
percentage would far exceed the 61-percent goal set by the governor.
For the past seven years, DVUSD has cut more than $56 million from our budget. We have
passionate, hard-working teachers who deserve to make a higher wage, but budget cuts have
prevented any sustainable wage increases for several years. We have eliminated administrative
positions, conserved energy, repurposed a school, and cut staff from our HR, Facilities, and
Transportation departments. We have worked hard to keep cuts from negatively impacting our
classrooms, but we are running out of places to cut.
If this budget is passed, the percentage of dollars being spent “in the classroom” would show an
increase, but the facts are that no additional dollars will be added to fund classroom instruction. The
governor is simply taking that money and moving it to other areas he favors, including charter
schools.
The discussion on administrative spending must change. It cannot be just about percentages. It
must be refocused on dollars per student, educational expectations, and the value that all
employees and non-classroom support bring to the continued academic excellence throughout
DVUSD and across Arizona.
Our governing board and I stand united against the governor’s proposed budget. I implore our
stakeholders and anyone who values education to read the proposal, think about the impact, and
ask yourself if this plan is truly what is best for our students. The facts will show you that this budget
proposal will have a negative impact in our classrooms.
Share this letter, so others will know the facts. Make phone calls. Contact the governor’s office and
your legislators directly. Sign up for the “Request to Speak” system that allows you to comment on
specific bills including the governor’s budget. You can read about these resources on our website at
www.dvusd.org.
I strongly encourage you to use your voice to make a difference in the lives of students.
KTAR NEWS
MARCH 5, 2015
Protesters march against proposed budget cuts to Arizona's
education system
PHOENIX -- Hundreds of students, parents and teachers marched around the Arizona
Capitol Thursday protesting proposed budget cuts to the state's education system.
Chants like "S.O.S, save our schools," and "Doug Ducey step off it, put students over
profit," echoed from the State Senate building to the House of Representatives.
"People are really frustrated with what's happening with this budget and education,"
protester Brooke Kistner said. "I think people are tired of the game (lawmakers) are
playing with shifting money around."
Kistner helped organize the rally. The mother of three works within the Deer Valley
Unified School District and claims her district, along with many others in Arizona,
already suffers from a lack of funds.
She said schools will not just lose money if the proposed budget is implemented but
also, "things like textbooks, nurses, crossing guards, librarians, art teachers, music
teachers, reading specialists, school psychologists and assistant principals."
A large number of students from Arizona State University attended the event like Gilbert
Romero. He said students are tired of lawmakers overlooking the state's education
system.
"We cannot handle any more budget cuts," Romero said. " Our state (education system)
is 47th in the country and it would put us 50th in the country if these budget cuts went
through."
ARIZONA REPUBLIC
MARCH 6, 2015
Education cuts cause some in GOP to waver on budget
deal
RONALD J. HANSEN, MARY JO PITZL AND YVONNE WINGETT SANCHEZ
THE REPUBLIC
i AZCENTRAL.COM
Significant resistance from more than a dozen Republican state lawmakers has threatened the compromise
budget plan rolled out earlier this week by GOP leaders and Gov. Doug Ducey. With hundreds protesting
outside the state Capitol and pushback from enough members in their own party to potentially scuttle the
tentative deal, hearings on the budget bills in the House of Representatives were delayed for about six hours.
In the Senate, more than a dozen opponents spoke against the budget plan, and dozens more weren’t given a
chance because of time constraints.
At least some of the members whose support was in doubt were being summoned to meet with Ducey in an
attempt to secure enough majority Republican votes to pass a spending plan for the remainder of the current
budget year and fiscal 2016. The budget’s impact on education across the board — K-12, community colleges
and the state’s three public universities — remained the biggest hurdle. Sen. Steve Pierce, R-Prescott, told
Ducey he supported the governor’s January budget proposal but said he can’t vote for the new plan because of
the changes in education.
“I told him I liked his first budget that he put out … and if he went back to that, I’d support it,” Pierce said. “But
with this budget, it changed numbers. It lowered the revenue numbers. They’ve increased the (Medicaid)
provider rates that they want from 3 to 5 percent and higher ed (cuts) went up.” Pierce said Ducey’s message
to him was, “This is as good as it’ll get and they need our support.”
A spokesman for Ducey declined to comment on the negotiations.
Pierce said his advice on how to build votes for the budget was simple: “Start over.”
The latest proposal was crafted behind closed doors and without input from minority Democrats, who have
shown little interest in either spending plan.
While the GOP-controlled Legislature can pass a budget without a single Democratic vote, the margins are
tight. Republicans can’t lose votes from more than one of their 17 members in the Senate. In the House, they
can’t lose more than five of their 36 members.
As of midday Thursday, the Goldwater Institute, Arizona Free Enterprise Club and National Federation of
Independent Business were the only organizations to register in favor of the proposed budget. Several dozen
stakeholders and individuals registered their opposition.
Rep. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, opposes the budget in part because of the elimination of some communitycollege funding.
The Pinal County Community College District “can’t suffer a100 percent cut,” he said. “And I’ll be with the
budget when we get it (the cut) reversed. Pinal County doesn’t have the tax base that Maricopa and Pima
counties have and I’ll continue to fight for them.”
Until the funding is restored, he said, “I can’t commit to anything.”
The latest budget would cut $104 million from higher education and adds $102 million to the K-12 system. Most
of the increase, however, comes from regularly programmed annual adjustments for inflation and enrollment
growth. Community colleges in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties stand to lose $19 million under the proposed
budget.
Cassidy Possehl, a Colorado native and student body president at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus,
asked lawmakers to consider the message the cuts will have on recruiting out-of-state students.
“Cutting $104 million from higher education makes a statement to the rest of the country,” she testified. “They
don’t want to come here anymore because of this budget and the priorities of this state. That is heartbreaking
to those of us that did come here from out of state because we loved Arizona. Now I don’t want to stay because
I don’t want my children to grow up in a state with these priorities.”
Outside the Capitol, protesters filled the Capitol grounds holding signs saying “Those who can ... TEACH.
Those who can’t ... make laws about teaching,” “ASU expects more from our Alumni! Doug Ducey Class of
’86,” and “Don’t be a fool. Fund public schools.”
Elizabeth and Osvaldo Sanchez were among them.
The couple attend Estrella Mountain Community College and have a daughter, Scarlett, who is in second grade
in the Peoria Unified School District.
“We have already gotten letters from Scarlett’s school about possibly going to a four-day week,” Elizabeth
Sanchez said. “We are worried, because we want her to be in school as much as possible.
“He is a veteran, so the government pays for his school because he served,” she continued. “But if tuition goes
up for me, that will really affect our family’s budget. We are young parents already, so that would really impact
us.” Sen. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, repeatedly
acknowledged the pain the proposed spending plan would bring.
“These are problems that have developed over literally decades,” he said. “In order for us to get our fiscal
house in order these are some of the things that have to happen. … I realize these are things that affect
people’s lives.”
Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, defended the proposed budget, saying the figures are manageable for
educators. He noted that the university cuts are about 2 percent of the overall budget for the schools and that
K-12 funding would rise.
“There are winners and losers, but I will say this, K-12 is not a loser,” he said.
Protesters interrupted the Senate hearing at one point to complain about the university cuts as Eileen Klein,
president of the Arizona Board of Regents, discussed the proposed cuts with senators.
While education dominated the public’s concerns, it wasn’t the only issue that troubled some lawmakers. Rep.
Bob Robson, R-Chandler, also opposes the budget in its current form, in part because of the net 5 percent cut
in the reimbursement rate to Medicaid providers. He said Thursday’s proceedings were part of the process and
said “leadership has been working diligently on getting there.
“You’ve got to be able to talk and work a lot of these things out to get there,” he said. Sen. Bob Worsley, RMesa, said he told Ducey he could not back the new plan because of its impact on higher education. “That’s
really the gap I still have — and a number of us have,” Worsley told The Arizona Republic .
“We’rehopingwecanhelp the higher-ed folks not raise tuition.”
Worsley praised Ducey for the direct contact and said, “He wants to get this done. He feels like he’s being
misunderstood to some degree.”
By late Thursday, the Senate committee had passed all the needed budget bills on party-line votes and the
House committee was on track to do the same.
Republic reporter Corina Vanek contributed to this article.
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