Governor Doug Ducey’s proposed executive budget for the new fiscal year includes the founding of a grant program to help students who experienced a “learning loss” as a result of virtual learning during COVID-19.
On March 15, 2020, Gov. Ducey and Superintendent Kathy Hoffman announced a state-wide, K-12 shutdown in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. The shutdown remained in effect through the end of the 2020 school year.
Though most schools eventually transitioned back to in-person learning in the late months of 2020, many K-12 schools in the greater Phoenix area continued virtual instruction throughout the fall 2020 semester.
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Many in the education community in Phoenix feel that there may have been a negative impact on the retention of important concepts among students who attended classes virtually rather than in-person as a result of the pandemic.
“There’s been a severe learning loss, and kids have missed out on so much. We need to use our resources to get them caught up,” Ducey said in a tweet.
There’s been severe learning loss, and kids have missed out on so much. We need to use our resources to get them caught up.
We’re investing nearly $400 million to address learning loss and help Arizona kids succeed. #AZResilient pic.twitter.com/Vq7JLDJucA
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) January 15, 2021
The budget will be derived from the extra funds created if school enrollment decreases as expected, which is currently estimated to be $389 million, which will be used to “establish a grant program for high-impact intervention and programming to mitigate learning loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a news release from the office of Gov. Ducey.
The proposed executive budget also states that $10 million should be used to bolster school choice by informing families of various educational options and advancing transportation.
Additionally, the proposed budget allocates $6.9 million to advancing early literacy, $4.4 million to innovative programs that serve vulnerable students, $4.1 million to programs that prepare students for college and $2 million to create new civics education programs according to the news release from the office of Gov. Ducey.
During his annual State of the State Address on Jan. 11, Gov. Ducey said that the state “will not fund empty seats,” which many educators perceived as a threat. Many believed this meant that if schools did not resume in-person learning, they would lose significant funding.
The current proposed executive budget does not include raises for K-12 educators.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman released a statement on Twitter in response to the proposed budget claiming that while she supports the investments in early literacy, internet access and adult education programs, she believes that state dollars could be spent in a different manner.
My response to Governor @dougducey's budget: pic.twitter.com/MgwNl2bsbn
— Kathy Hoffman (@Supt_Hoffman) January 15, 2021
“The Governor’s budget should provide stability for schools by committing to increased, sustainable investments in Arizona’s public education system,” Superintendent Hoffman said.
Supt. Hoffman went on to explain that she believes schools need sustainable funding to be able to retain qualified educators and staff, adequately address students’ mental health needs, and create equal opportunity for all students in the state.
The state legislature will conduct public budget hearings in the following weeks to revise or modify Gov. Ducey’s proposed executive budget. Once the budget passes in both chambers, it will be returned to Gov. Ducey who will either sign the bills, let them go into effect without a signature, or veto the bills.
The full executive budget proposal for 2022 fiscal year can be found here.
Contact the reporter at clparri2@asu.edu.
Cami is Downtown Devil's co-executive editor. Cami is a third-year student studying print journalism and political science. When she's not writing or editing, she enjoys hosting radio shows, playing piano and bass, and teaching art classes at a local art studio.
