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Valley schools rely heavily on tax-credit funds
Adam Bernal/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
San Pedro Valley taxpayers have less than a month to donate tax credits to local schools to help fund extracurricular activities and other education programs.
Contributions to public schools and charter schools provide funding for activities like before- and after-school classes, field trips and other programs. The deadline to make school tax credit contributions is Dec. 31.
Individual taxpayers can donate up to $200 to public schools and married couples can donate $400 if filing a joint tax return.
If taxpayers choose to donate, donors will receive state tax credit when they receive their tax returns.
Taxpayers can donate to any school or educational program of their choosing. All of the donated tax credit will go directly to the school or program in need of funding.
Public schools in the state of Arizona are ranked 49th in funding in the United States and are in need of extra donations for educational programs.
Benson Schools Superintendent David Woodall said that tax credit money is very beneficial in helping schools and students for field trips, camps and other extracurricular activities. They also give parents an opportunity to support the schools at no cost and get the entire amount refunded on their income, he said.
"It's a big part of our extracurricular program," Woodall said. "Parents have been very supportive after they realize it's all refundable."
Woodall said the taxcredit donations have helped programs such as the Academic Decathalon, the school's athletic programs, Future Farmers of America and nearly all of the school's clubs and organizations.
St. David Superintendent Kate Mueller concurred.
"We rely on these donations to give our students programs and equipment that we cannot provide on a district level, due to inadequate funding from the state," Mueller said.
Mueller says that tax credits have been crucial in providing funds for field trips, artist in residence programs, special programs and assemblies. Tax credits have also gone toward purchasing items like band instruments and athletic equipment, she said.
But if state lawmakers have their way, the school-donation tax credit program may be suspended for one year to whittle down a looming budget deficit that may end up at $2 billion.
To donate to the St. David School District, forms can be printed out online at www.stdavidschools.org, then click on "Tax Credit Info" in the sidebar. The completed forms can be mailed to St. David Schools, P.O. Box 70, St. David, AZ 85630.To donate to the Benson School District, forms can be printed out online at www.bensonsd.k12.az.us/tax and turned in to the district office at 360 South Patagonia Street.
San Pedro Valley taxpayers have less than a month to donate tax credits to local schools to help fund extracurricular activities and other education programs.
Contributions to public schools and charter schools provide funding for activities like before- and after-school classes, field trips and other programs. The deadline to make school tax credit contributions is Dec. 31.
Individual taxpayers can donate up to $200 to public schools and married couples can donate $400 if filing a joint tax return.
If taxpayers choose to donate, donors will receive state tax credit when they receive their tax returns.
Taxpayers can donate to any school or educational program of their choosing. All of the donated tax credit will go directly to the school or program in need of funding.
Public schools in the state of Arizona are ranked 49th in funding in the United States and are in need of extra donations for educational programs.
Benson Schools Superintendent David Woodall said that tax credit money is very beneficial in helping schools and students for field trips, camps and other extracurricular activities. They also give parents an opportunity to support the schools at no cost and get the entire amount refunded on their income, he said.
"It's a big part of our extracurricular program," Woodall said. "Parents have been very supportive after they realize it's all refundable."
Woodall said the taxcredit donations have helped programs such as the Academic Decathalon, the school's athletic programs, Future Farmers of America and nearly all of the school's clubs and organizations.
St. David Superintendent Kate Mueller concurred.
"We rely on these donations to give our students programs and equipment that we cannot provide on a district level, due to inadequate funding from the state," Mueller said.
Mueller says that tax credits have been crucial in providing funds for field trips, artist in residence programs, special programs and assemblies. Tax credits have also gone toward purchasing items like band instruments and athletic equipment, she said.
But if state lawmakers have their way, the school-donation tax credit program may be suspended for one year to whittle down a looming budget deficit that may end up at $2 billion.
To donate to the St. David School District, forms can be printed out online at www.stdavidschools.org, then click on "Tax Credit Info" in the sidebar. The completed forms can be mailed to St. David Schools, P.O. Box 70, St. David, AZ 85630.To donate to the Benson School District, forms can be printed out online at www.bensonsd.k12.az.us/tax and turned in to the district office at 360 South Patagonia Street.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of bensonnews-sun.com.
current nurse wrote on Dec 30, 2008 10:53 AM:
So why did the union come in? Apparently due to insurance issues. But isn’t it interesting that most of the nurses who lead the union charge quit right after the hospital became unionized? Hmmm… Perhaps there were other motives involved… Attempt to get cna’s in the union fails and is voted down yet no mention of that. If there are all these issues why aren’t all the staff at the hospital joining the union and not just the nurses? Director of nursing replaced by an unqualified person? What are Mrs. Vincifora’s qualifications and background then? The fact that she worked for TMC educating the nursing staff there and has a lot of management experience in a larger facility does not come up... Are the nurses angry with her because she is firing them or persuading them to quit due to their allegiance with the union and is doing the bidding of administration or are there other reasons? Worked for a larger facility educating nurses? Apparent history of lack of good patient care at Benson Hospital from nurses? Put 2 and 2 together. You don’t hire temp nurses to save money, you hire them because you cannot find good or COMPETANT staff.
Dawn Reece now the champion of the nursing staff? What an irony. It is interesting that a little over a year ago, when she was in administration, she was very vocal about her hatred for the hospital PARTICULARILY the nurses! Apparently all of the rumoring and whining she complained about is now forgiven. Is she really concerned about patient care at the hospital or is it because she was turned down for the nursing director position and has a long history of personal issues with certain members of administration? I thought she had left because God had told her she needed to be in Tucson and that she was meant to go there…
If you read between the lines and use your brain there is a lot more going on then what a couple of nurses would want you to believe. Misery loves company and the few miserable and negative nurses still at the hospital would love nothing more then to bring us all down to their level. Luckily most of the staff has a very positive and pro-active attitude and is very happy about the positive changes that have happened over the past several months. When the state report and results from the labor actions comes out it will be interesting to see if the paper prints those and not just quips from a few negative nancys. "