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School Districts Can Continue to Count on Prop. 123 Funds
On Monday, September 30, U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake ruled in a declaratory judgment that the State of Arizona violated the state’s Enabling Act by not getting prior approval from Congress for the increased disbursements from the permanent fund (State Land Trust proceeds) to fund the inflation funding approved in Proposition 123, which was passed by the voters in May 2016 and which settled the lawsuit of Cave Creek USD, et.al. v. Ducey. We want our members to know the following:
- First, there is no threat for the near future – FY2020 and beyond – that the funding approved in Prop. 123 will cease. You can continue to count on these funds.
- Second, this lawsuit has a long way to go, which will likely take years to come to finality. First up, the State of Arizona has already stated they intend to appeal this ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. There is also the possibility of obtaining a retroactive amendment to the Enabling Act through Congress which would moot the lawsuit entirely.
- Third, as part of the settlement of the lawsuit, the state agreed that if a time came in which the provisions of Prop. 123 were found to be illegal, the state would continue to fund its obligations until there was judicial finality (meaning all appeals have been exhausted).
- Fourth, Prop. 123 has a ten-year life. By the time judicial finality is reached, we may be in the latter years of its lifespan and by then the State should be far along in identifying a means to replace this funding.
Please stay tuned for more information as it develops. If there is additional news, we will be sure to share it with you and put it in context for its impact to our member districts.
2019 Proposed ASBA Bylaw Change | Online Voting Opens
Last week, ASBA mailed a memo with proposed changes to ASBA bylaw dated September 24, 2019. We encourage all boards to discuss and put consideration of these changes on your board’s agenda at your regularly scheduled board meeting during this timeframe. The password to submit your vote is included in the member email sent to all members on September 30, 2019.
Electronic voting is now open and will close at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.
All ASBA district member boards are strongly encouraged to exercise their ASBA membership rights and participate in voting. A change to the bylaws requires an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all ASBA member district boards. If you have any questions please email Kristi Sisk, Executive Assistant, to Executive Director at ksisk@azsba.org or call 602.254.1100.
With the support of the ASBA Board of Directors, the following recommendation to the ASBA Bylaws is being put forth to the membership.
PROPOSAL:
Article VIII – Amendment of Bylaws and Core Beliefs
A bylaw may be amended or repealed by a majority affirmative vote of all member boards.
Recommended by the ASBA Board of Directors and ASBA Governance Committee.
Background:
Currently, a minimum of two-thirds of all ASBA member boards must vote in the affirmative to appeal or amend a bylaw.
Did You Miss Webinar on Foster Youth?
Recording: Advancing Equity Through Deeper Learning: A Focus on Foster Youth Population
PowerPoint: Advancing Equity Through Deeper Learning: A Focus on Foster Youth Population – PDF
Documents: Fostering Advocates Arizona – Arizona State Programs – PDF
ASBA Forms a Rural Alliance, a Commitment to Rural and Remote Districts
Did you know more than half of all Arizona school districts are in rural or remote areas of the state? ASBA has formed a Rural Alliance to better understand and identify unique challenges these districts face. The purpose of the Rural Alliance will be to strategically enhance the work of ASBA and its member boards in cultivating excellence in locally governed rural and remote school districts, with a focus on:
- Networking opportunities to encourage positive, effective relationships and collaborative efforts among leaders of rural and remote school districts.
- Collective and strategic advocacy and member education to improve opportunities and outcomes for students in rural Arizona.
- Ensuring representation by rural and remote leaders within the governance of the ASBA.
If you are interested in joining the ASBA Rural Alliance, please click here. A kick-off event will be happening at the 2019 ASBA-ASA Annual Conference.
Now Available: Census Model Resolution for Your Board to Pass
You can find the a model school district resolution on the 2020 U.S. Census now available on ASBA’s new webpage dedicated to information and resources for members to use to keep their local community informed on the importance of participating in the upcoming Census in 2020. The new webpage includes quick facts, key dates, graphics, articles and other external resources.
Please email Heidi Otero, ASBA’s director of communications at hvega@azsba.org, if your board passes a resolution to celebrate your district on ASBA’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
ASBA’S Inspiring Youth Contest – Enter to Win Now!
Win an exclusive presentation for 50 of your district’s students with Shane Feldman, media sensation, motivational speaker, producer, social entrepreneur and “undercover teen” and ASBA’s Annual Conference keynote speaker at Grand Canyon University on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019! A private campus tour will be included. Also, transportation and lunch are provided.
Criteria:
In 300 words, tell us about a program or initiative in your district that is engaging and inspiring youth to be change agents in their communities.
A photo reflecting the program or initiative must also be submitted with the entry.
Entry must be completed by the superintendent or an authorized representative.
Participating students must be in fifth grade or higher and attend a Title I school.
Deadline to submit is Oct. 25, 2019. Only online entries will be accepted.
GCU & ASBA Present… Making Ties: Handling School Trauma Webinar Series
Grand Canyon University has partnered with the Arizona School Boards Association to offer this free, can’t-miss opportunity for anyone involved in K12 education. Participants will analyze what school trauma really means and dive deeper into how to deal with trauma in K12 schools.
Register for just one or all of the following web seminars:
| 01/29/2020 | Understanding Trauma in Our Schools | 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Register here |
| 02/12/2020 | Making the Case for Trauma-Informed Education Supports | 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Register here |
| 03/04/2020 | Systematic Approaches to Trauma-Informed Education Supports | 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Register here |
| 05/06/2020 | Trauma-Informed Education Supports: A Legal Perspective | 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Register here |
Updates From the State Board of Education and Congrats to Ann O’Brien, ASBA Treasurer
The State Board of Education held its regular meeting Monday where accountability and assessments were the hot topics. The Board reviewed proposed cut scores for 2018-2019 A-F Letter Grades and may adopt final cut scores at the October meeting. The Board released a survey to get public input on the cut score model types, which can be found here. The survey does provide space for you to comment on your preferred methodology or other issues. The survey closes on October 14, 2019.
The Board continues to work on developing a “dashboard” evaluation that assigns a letter grade for a variety of indicators, as required by a bill passed during the 2018 Legislative session, as well as letter grades for online schools and CTEDs.
ASBA also congratulates Ann O’Brien, Deer Valley board member and ASBA Treasurer, who was appointed by the State Board of Education to serve on the Professional Practices Advisory Committee through July 31, 2023. Ann will be an outstanding representative of governing boards as a member of this committee that hears teacher and administrator discipline cases referred to the Board.
Celebrate Your Students, Schools, and District! ASBA Annual Conference Award Nominations Close Oct.18
Each year, ASBA honors individual school board members, as well as entire governing boards for efforts toward improvement and to promote the idea of better boardsmanship. Awards are also presented to districts, schools and teachers for excellence in student achievement. Student scholarships and a student photography contest round out ASBA’s annual awards. Deadline to submit is October 18 by 5 p.m.
ASBA Events
Find your voice and advocate for issues that will impact our K-12 school districts during the 2020 Legislative Session. More information to follow.
Don’t miss out these updates:
- Data on Arizona’s changing demographics and funding disparities
- State budget forecast
- Legislative preview panel
- Lessons learned from bonds/overrides for 2020
- Information to sharpen your advocacy efforts for the 2020 session