We Think We Have It Hard

Each day as I travel all over the valley and state for work, I watch the odometer climb and climb. Then at the gas pump when I fill up my vehicle, like many other Arizonans, I watch the dollar figures climb and climb. We’ve all personally experienced the pain at the gas pump, the grocery store, and several other places, as we try to adjust to these difficult economic times. The strain on our household budgets is both real and significant.

Not surprisingly, as an educator, I began reflecting on how challenging these current realities must be for our school districts. Imagine the impact of these high gas prices if you had not just one vehicle to gas up, but an entire flight of buses; the impact of high food costs if you had not just one mouth to feed, but thousands; or the impact of high utility costs if you had not just one home to cool, but several buildings. I know how hard we have it. Imagine how hard it is for our school districts.

Right now, Arizona’s projected budget shortfall for 2009 is $1.7 billion (roughly 16% of the state’s normal $10.7 billion general fund budget). Various law and policy makers have proposed dramatic spending cuts. In November of 2007, over half of the 22 school district budget overrides proposed throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area failed. The ranking for education funding in Arizona has remained at 49th out of 50 in our nation. What does this mean for our schools and the education of our children? Most likely, this translates into larger class sizes, cuts to instructional aides resulting in less individualized attention, and elimination of art, music and physical education programs – just to name a few examples. Simply put – these difficult economic times decrease our ability to invest in education at greater levels. At the same time they also increase our awareness of the need to do just that, underscoring the significant impact money has in education.

There is no wiser investment for our state’s future success than investing in our children today through an excellent education. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that we come together as concerned educators, parents and community members to support our schools and children. We are all responsible for sharing these important connections and impacts with other voters when local school bond issues arise. Let’s also remember to express our support for public education when we complete our mail-in ballots or visit the voting booth on election day.

Jason Williams
Founder and Chairman, AZ School Works Political Action Committee