Arizona Budget Coalition

Jan Brewer has signed into a law a bill that jeopordizes school boards' cash reserves in the next fiscal year.

Some measures in the bill reflect reflect our menu of budget options, such as payment delays for one day and accepting the stimulus dollars. The most troubling aspect, however, is the decision to force school districts to operate only based on cash reserves for the rest of the year.

State payments to K-12 districts will be delayed under this plan, but districts will be forced to compensate those payments from their own cash reserves.

The Arizona Republic reports that the plan is falling under bipartisan criticism:

Democratic opponents argue that the plan once more balances the state budget on the backs of schools and universities. Assistant Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Apache Junction, said the state plan to claim the school-district funding amounts to a "backdoor tax increase."

"The local-property taxpayer will make up 100 percent of the cash balance taken by the state," said Rep. Tom Boone, R-Peoria. Boone also is president of the Deer Valley Unified School District, and is one of two House Republicans to vote against the budget fix.

We can still expect more legislative movement on the budget in the weeks ahead, so be sure to keep up the pressure on the Governor and Legislature to do the right thing: