Experts discuss how new education funding will be distributed

Experts talk through the details of Governor Doug Ducey’s new plan to give teachers a 20 percent salary increase by 2020.

One of the details people are concerned about is the fact that districts can use the additional money in any way that they want. While the legislature was very clear on where they wanted this money to go, Dr. Chuck Essigs of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials says it’s still up to the district.

“There’s no guarantee that every single person will receive the same percentage of pay raise, and it’s because of the way our formula works,” Chris Kotterman of the Arizona School Boards Association says. “We’re funded per student, not per teacher… When you have a system like that, there’s no way to reach from the top and say every teacher will receive ‘x’ percentage.”

Essigs says we have to wait until this year’s funding is implemented and see where districts are to determine what the next steps should be.