Last week the Arizona Legislature passed a budget that included a raise for teachers and more funding for schools. It led organizers of the teacher walkout to announce an end to their demonstration that forced schools across the state to close.
Gov. Ducey signed legislation giving teachers a 9 percent raise for the upcoming school year at a cost of about $300 million dollars. Legislation also requires more than a dozen school districts, including Tucson Unified School District, to levy a secondary property tax to cover the cost of court-ordered desegregation programs.
Arizona 360 invited Pima County Superintendent of Schools Dustin Williams to learn more about how the new budget affects districts in the county.
“This was thrown in under the carpet. And now individuals, approximately 100,000 parcels, all located in the TUSD school district, will see their taxes increased,” said Williams. The county superintedent estimated it would add $10 for every $100,000 dollars appraised.
Williams also explained how each district school or charter school is tasked with determining how to make the 9 percent raises work within their teachers’ contracts.
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