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Legislator checks in on Benson school status
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| Checking in: District 25 State Rep. Pat Fleming stopped in at Benson School last week as part of Arizona Business & Education Coalition's Shadow a Superintendent Program. Benson Schools Supt. Dr. David Woodall is pictured at right. (Thelma Grimes/photo.) |
Thelma Grimes/San Pero Valley News-Sun
Arizona Rep. Patricia Fleming, D-District 25, visited the Benson School District Friday as part of the Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) Shadow a Superintendent program.
Fleming was able to attend an academic assembly at the elementary school, visit with Benson Superintendent David Woodall and tour the school's facilities during the four-hour visit.
The program, established by ABEC, has been designed to allow the state's elected officials to go inside the school districts statewide and see first hand how continued budget cuts are affecting the education system.
The program also allows superintendents to ask the legislators questions and get a better understanding of how lawmakers are moving forward.
In a one-on-one discussion, Woodall said one of the biggest issues facing Benson schools is the decrease in Proposition 301 money that gave teachers extra pay.
Cuts resulted in a nearly $1,400 loss per teacher, Woodall explained, but rather than decreasing salaries, the district moved forward with cutting other departments.
Nine support staff positions, such as custodial, clerical, were cut instead.
This allowed the district to keep its certified staff and not cut their salaries, but with more cuts expected in the coming years, Woodall said the reality is other programs could be cut such as choir, athletic and after-school programs.
Fleming said the tough part of the entire situation is budget cuts are inevitable, and as the budget process moved forward and money was needed, the biggest part of the state budget was going to become a target.
Education makes up 47 percent of the state budget.
Fleming explained that Arizona Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has ordered every state agency to look at how they would manage a 15 percent budget cut, and that includes the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).
Woodall told the first-term representative that the problem with the cuts is that the ADE decides which departments and programs will be eliminated.
"We know cuts are imminent, but it would be better if we have broad discretion and to be told here's your pot, do with it what you will," Woodall said.
Fleming said it is a tough situation, and shadowing superintendents has become an important program established by the ABEC.
"When school districts have to start increasing student to teacher ratios, somebody is going to get left behind and it's going to be a child. When legislators forget or even deny that funding education is an investment in Arizona's future, that becomes a real challenge."
One of the programs already affected by state budget cuts is the district's ability to have a juvenile probation officer on campus. With the grant funding cut, Woodall said Sepp Sprietsma's position was elminated this year.
Sprietsma, along with the school's resource officer, Gary Douglas, were honored for their work by ADE last year.
Sprietsma was on hand to work with students who have already had run-ins with the law, or are headed down the wrong path.
Woodall said there is a possibility that in the coming year, the resource officer position may also be eliminated through state budget cuts.
Another part of the meeting that Fleming found interesting was the school tax credit program. Woodall explained that residents are allotted up to a $1,500 tax credit at private schools, but public schools can only receive $400.
Fleming said she would be checking into why private schools can be given $1,100 more than a public school.
Fleming said getting out into the community is an eye-opener, and stressed to many school staff members and administrators that supporting education is not only important to her, but also her family.
"I wanted to do this for several reasons," Fleming said at the beginning of the day. "Beyond an appreciation for what educators go through, I know they will be feeling a lot of pain with all these budget cuts. And also, I just like to be around kids."
Fleming will also be shadowing the superintendent in the Douglas School District.
Fleming said several superintendents through Cochise County volunteered to participate in the program with other legislators as well.
In total, 30 superintendent and legislator duos are participating and in the shadowing program statewide.
Arizona Rep. Patricia Fleming, D-District 25, visited the Benson School District Friday as part of the Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) Shadow a Superintendent program.
Fleming was able to attend an academic assembly at the elementary school, visit with Benson Superintendent David Woodall and tour the school's facilities during the four-hour visit.
The program, established by ABEC, has been designed to allow the state's elected officials to go inside the school districts statewide and see first hand how continued budget cuts are affecting the education system.
The program also allows superintendents to ask the legislators questions and get a better understanding of how lawmakers are moving forward.
In a one-on-one discussion, Woodall said one of the biggest issues facing Benson schools is the decrease in Proposition 301 money that gave teachers extra pay.
Cuts resulted in a nearly $1,400 loss per teacher, Woodall explained, but rather than decreasing salaries, the district moved forward with cutting other departments.
Nine support staff positions, such as custodial, clerical, were cut instead.
This allowed the district to keep its certified staff and not cut their salaries, but with more cuts expected in the coming years, Woodall said the reality is other programs could be cut such as choir, athletic and after-school programs.
Fleming said the tough part of the entire situation is budget cuts are inevitable, and as the budget process moved forward and money was needed, the biggest part of the state budget was going to become a target.
Education makes up 47 percent of the state budget.
Fleming explained that Arizona Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has ordered every state agency to look at how they would manage a 15 percent budget cut, and that includes the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).
Woodall told the first-term representative that the problem with the cuts is that the ADE decides which departments and programs will be eliminated.
"We know cuts are imminent, but it would be better if we have broad discretion and to be told here's your pot, do with it what you will," Woodall said.
Fleming said it is a tough situation, and shadowing superintendents has become an important program established by the ABEC.
"When school districts have to start increasing student to teacher ratios, somebody is going to get left behind and it's going to be a child. When legislators forget or even deny that funding education is an investment in Arizona's future, that becomes a real challenge."
One of the programs already affected by state budget cuts is the district's ability to have a juvenile probation officer on campus. With the grant funding cut, Woodall said Sepp Sprietsma's position was elminated this year.
Sprietsma, along with the school's resource officer, Gary Douglas, were honored for their work by ADE last year.
Sprietsma was on hand to work with students who have already had run-ins with the law, or are headed down the wrong path.
Woodall said there is a possibility that in the coming year, the resource officer position may also be eliminated through state budget cuts.
Another part of the meeting that Fleming found interesting was the school tax credit program. Woodall explained that residents are allotted up to a $1,500 tax credit at private schools, but public schools can only receive $400.
Fleming said she would be checking into why private schools can be given $1,100 more than a public school.
Fleming said getting out into the community is an eye-opener, and stressed to many school staff members and administrators that supporting education is not only important to her, but also her family.
"I wanted to do this for several reasons," Fleming said at the beginning of the day. "Beyond an appreciation for what educators go through, I know they will be feeling a lot of pain with all these budget cuts. And also, I just like to be around kids."
Fleming will also be shadowing the superintendent in the Douglas School District.
Fleming said several superintendents through Cochise County volunteered to participate in the program with other legislators as well.
In total, 30 superintendent and legislator duos are participating and in the shadowing program statewide.
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