Four Things YOU Can Do to Help Our Students
During This Time of Crisis
Dear Neighbors in the Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD),
We all need to take some time out of our busy day to learn about what is happening to public education funding in the State of Arizona. I know that many in our community are hurting financially, and we are wondering what those in Washington DC will do for a solution to help pull this country out of its financial tailspin. Meanwhile there is another, less publicized fight taking place. It is the fight to save public education in the State of Arizona. If you care about education and the future of Arizona, take some time to GET YOURSELF EDUCATED on the issues we are facing, and GET INVOLVED.
Here are 4 major issues we face in the Cave Creek Unified School District, listed in order of greatest impact to our children, along with suggestions on what you can do to help.
- THE ARIZONA BUDGET DEFICIT – The State has already reduced the CCUSD budget by over $700,000 for 2009. Fortunately, Superintendent Debbi Burdick exercised good judgment by freezing most spending early this school year. As a result, we were able to emerge from this (second) round of severe budget cuts without loss of personnel.* Our kids may not have new books for a very long time… but at least they’ll have a teacher… until August, anyway.
Budget cuts for 2009/10 for our district will range from $3 to $6 million dollars. This equates to a 10-20% budget reduction. Do the math… if this happens, it’s going to drastically impact CCUSD’s ability to deliver a quality education to our children. Class sizes will INCREASE. Remaining teachers will be spread among many more children, virtually ELIMINATING their ability to provide any individualized instruction.
This is not a modest budget trimming, this is nothing short of pulling the education rug out from under our kids. While the district is developing plans and is trying diligently to cut administrative and support areas of the budget first, we will lose teachers, along with the programs they support. We all agree that the State cannot spend money it does not have. We must implore our elected legislators to look to alternatives that allow our children to receive a quality education in Arizona. With Washington borrowing against our kids’ income and their grandchildren’s income, we must take the time to offer alternatives to our Legislature, it is the least we can do as a community.
*CCUSD reduced it’s budget by $2.1 million in the 08-09 school year, resulting in the loss of 18 teachers and several support staff positions.
What Can You Do To Help? If you have an idea or recommendation, send it to your Legislators. Please also send it to Cave Creek Support Our Students (CCSOS). CCSOS will be organizing a trip to the Capitol to get some face time with our legislators. We will present our community’s “collective top few” with a unified voice.
Call, write or visit your legislators. We have heard straight from our Legislator’s mouths that form letters are a waste of time (not to mention paper if you still use snail mail). Original e-mails, calls and visits from constituents will make the difference our children need.
- LEGISLATIVE ISSUES – NOW is a VERY good time to write to your elected legislators including Governor Brewer to let them know your thoughts about proposed education budget cuts. Also let them know your opinion on pending legislation like House Bill 2288*… or it will become just another inequitable law in the Education Funding Labyrinth of the State of Arizona.
Your elected officials need to hear from you.
*House Bill 2288 will repeal the “sunset clause” on the corporate tax credit law that currently allows companies to give millions of their taxes directly to private schools, and has a built-in increase mechanism of 20% per annum. The net result of this bill will be DECREASED funding for public schools at a time when public schools are already on the ropes due to the state budget deficit.
What Can You Do To Help? There is too much legislation on the books for one person, or one school district for that matter, to keep up and have an influence on the outcome. I urge you to become involved in the APPLE organization. APPLE is the AZ Parents for Public Education Coalition. They have a game plan for monitoring the legislature, attending committee meetings and dispersing information to parents along the way. Please consider attending one of their meetings as a start and get involved. Visit their website to learn more: http://www.appleaz.org/
- CCUSD FACILITIES NEEDS ARE GREAT – The State of Arizona has reneged on its obligation to provide necessary maintenance funds for our school buildings. We have lost over $700k in maintenance funds in the last 2 years. Many of our schools are falling into disrepair. To add insult to injury our high school is about 20% overcrowded. The district and governing board are taking a close look at these combined issues and are working toward a solution. The kids need your support to maintain safe and efficient facilities that foster a productive learning environment.
What Can You Do To Help? Stay informed, get involved, and spread the word so that our community is aware of our school facilities needs. It is only through our collective voices that the community will be prepared to make an informed decision at the polls if and when asked to do so.
- THIS YEAR WILL BE OUR LAST CHANCE TO CONSIDER THE K-3 OVERRIDE BEFORE FUNDS ARE REDUCED – Our Governing Board will decide whether or not to ask voters to renew the K-3 Budget Override in 2009. The board asked voters to renew these funds in 2008 and the measure failed. For most of us, the K-3 override is a $2 per month property tax that pays for 15 teachers, 2.5 instructional aides, 6.2 teacher aides as well as supplies for K-3 classrooms. Considering the state just cut $700,000 FROM our district’s budget, and K-3 override places $1 million IN the budget, it makes perfect sense to support this measure should it be on the ballot this November.
What Can You Do To Help? Spread the Word. Make sure your neighbors understand the funding issues our schools face, and make sure they understand not only the importance of K-3 funding in our classrooms, but how little it actually costs them (around $2 per month for most homeowners)… and also, let everyone know that this is NOT a NEW tax, it is simply a renewal of an existing tax. Send a letter to the Governing Board asking them to please place this question on the ballot again.
Stay Informed. Get Involved.
Strong Schools Build a Strong Community.
Our Kids Need YOU!
Sincerely,
Cynthia Weiss, Cave Creek Support Our Students