Multiple Arizona education organizations share discontent with new state budget

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - On Thursday, Arizona lawmakers approved the $18 billion state budget which included $1 billion for highway construction that will widen the I-10 south of Phoenix, half a billion for border security, and another $500 million for the education budget.

Educators, school board members, and administrators say they’ll be working together to make the budget work. Although the number seems like a lot of money, several organizations in the state say that it’s more of a compromise. They originally were hoping for closer to a billion dollars, as Arizona has a surplus of over $5 billion.

Chris Kotterman of the Arizona School Board Association says it’s a step in the right direction. “This shows that it is possible when we have revenue available to do these things that there are people on both sides willing to do it,” Kotterman said. “And the trick will be making use of these resources in a way that encourages them to do it more.

He says he believes the next legislative step is building a tax structure that would not only support Arizona’s educational programs’ growth and better educate students, but would also enable schools to bring in money as well.

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