Iranian militants held American embassy staff hostage for the entire year. The United States boycotted the Olympics. Ronald Reagan became the 40^th President of the United States in the November election. These were some of the memorable events of 1980.

The youth of America were still a year away from hearing the phrase “I want my MTV,” and the Oldsmobile Cutlass was the nation’s best-selling automobile. This was also the last time Arizona policymakers substantially updated the K-12 finance formula.

The time has come to modernize the formula again.

Arizona educators have accomplished a great deal under the 1980 formula. The K-12 student population has grown from less than to more than. During the past 40 years, our state has simultaneously improved the quality of the education system and quantity of high performing schools.

But similar to the Oldsmobile Cutlass, however, Arizona’s school finance system has become increasingly antiquated. By enrolling in different public schools, an Arizona student can generate wildly different K-12 funding amounts. The same student could change public schools in Arizona but receive only a fraction of the public funding his or her previous school received. It is time for Arizona policymakers to finish the job of equalizing education funding.

Formula Served an Important Purpose at the Time: Advancing Equity

Arizona largely equalized school funding in 1980 by mandating an equal level of local property taxes in every school district and creating a single operational formula built around weights for individual student needs. Previously, both tax rates and operational spending levels were discretionary and differed significantly based on the wealth of the local school district. Arizona was one of many states compelled by court actions to reform their finance formulas to ensure the learning opportunities for poor students were not shortchanged by virtue of their zip code.

Inequities Crept Back In After 1980

The 1980 effort went a long way toward equalization, but because it kept open multiple avenues for local jurisdictions to add to their school budgets through additional primary and secondary tax levies, inequities in district resources have.

states: “No law shall be enacted granting to any citizen, class of citizens, or corporation other than municipal, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens or corporations.” Despite this provision and the 1980 reforms, today the best funded Arizona district generates six times as much revenue per pupil as the lowest funded district. With no automatic or mandatory review of the formula required of the state Legislature, these inequities have continued to grow. This state of affairs does not adhere to the constitutional principle of equal privileges and immunities.

Formula Was Created for a Different System

The 1980 formula revisions sought to replace local discretion for school taxing and spending with a state equalized effort centered on individual students. It was a massive, two-year effort and disrupted a great deal of tradition and ease of practice for wealthier school districts but resulted in an outcome closer to the “general and uniform” requirements of the state constitution.

However, that formula was created to serve a school system where the vast majority of students attended the local school assigned to them. Students today are far more mobile, and public- school enrollment relies far more on attracting students than simple proximity.

In 1994, the Arizona Legislature enacted two policies that have greatly accelerated the move away from assigned schools: the creation of public charters schools and an open enrollment system.

Public charter schools do not operate with any particular jurisdiction; in effect, their “local district” is the state of Arizona. Public charter schools are unable to levy local property taxes; their public funding for maintenance, operations, and capital comes exclusively from the state. Arizona’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee in total public funding.

Arizona lawmakers also required districts to pass an open enrollment policy, enabling students to attend the public school of their choice within or outside of their assigned school district, tuition free.

Today, Arizona charter schools serve approximately 20% of public-school students and have taken the lead in accommodating state enrollment growth. Attendance in “out of boundary” public schools, however, is the most common form of school choice, with district schools both gaining and losing students through open enrollment..

The combination of district open enrollment, charter enrollment and private/homeschooling has resulted in a majority of students attending schools other than their zoned district school. As the percentage of students attending the school in their assigned district declines, the justification for local tax support versus statewide tax support erodes.

After nearly 30 years, charter schools are an integral part of Arizona’s public-school system and their funding should be integrated into the overall school finance formula.

Arizona policymakers should consider the successful practice of other states in funding students with special needs, such as those with disabilities and English Learners, to reflect the level of services required rather than an arbitrary amount of funding associated with a diagnosis. Weights relating to schools, such as additional funding for rural communities and rewards for academic success should be incorporated into the funding formula and provided to schools on a neutral formulaic basis.

Outmoded Formula Creates Inequities for Taxpayers, Too

Zip codes no longer determine a child’s public school but still heavily influence the level of resources their school receives.

In the past, both homeowners and local businesses were taxed to support the education of students in their neighborhoods. Now, they increasingly find themselves being taxed to pay for the education of students attending schools elsewhere, or who are receiving their education online. Place-based taxes for mobile students have made less and less sense over time.

For example, the formula for school transportation only applies to students who attend district schools. This means Arizona households pay school transportation taxes, but many students, including the majority of students in Maricopa County, receive no benefit from it.

Arizona school buses still largely transport children within their zoned attendance boundary as they did in 1993. Families using other public-school options must currently fend for themselves. Governor Doug Ducey’s Executive Budget proposal recognizes the importance of this long-neglected equity issue by providing transportation assistance to district open enrollment students and charter students.

Similarly, the disconnect between school district construction bonding and student attendance patterns has contributed to a glut of underutilized space in many districts —. This effectively stunts the growth of our most-in-demand schools and leaves many waitlisted students shut out of their first-choice school.

Modernization Essential to Improve Equity

A school finance system suited to Arizona’s needs would collect all school taxes and distribute them on an equitable, per-student basis according to a single statewide formula. The tax obligation for education should be shared equitably among taxpayers, and revenues should be allocated to the public school that students attend, rather than to a local taxing authority. Inequities for taxpayers and schools alike would be minimized by replacing district bonds and override elections with a system of increased state funding. Districts carrying facility debt should retain a local tax for the purpose of retiring preexisting debt during a transition period.

With individual success tied to greater levels of attainment, the state’s economic future is tied to education. Arizona’s fundamental interest in educating its children does not vary by which public school they attend.

We cannot expect Arizona to be competitive today using the 1980s playbook. The time has come to address funding inequities squarely and to modernize Arizona’s outdated funding formula for the needs of the 21^st Century.

Public funding systems for public education should arise from statewide support and be focused directly on students. Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ade a strong start in this direction in 1980, charting a pathway followed by many states thereafter. What was once a visionary formula has gone the way of the 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass. We can – we must – set a new and better standard in student funding once again.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is the director of the Arizona Center for Student Opportunity

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A bill to provide transportation for students to attend public schools outside of their assigned campus cleared its first hurdle at the Arizona Senate. 

The Senate Education Committee approved the bill, Senate Bill 1683, which would establish a $10 million fund to provide grants to public schools and municipalities to provide safe and reliable transportation for open enrollment and charter school students. Parents also could receive monthly stipends for driving and mass transit costs. 

Ensuring every student gets the best educational fit possible regardless of their “zip code or economic status” is the intent, said a proponent of the bill, Emily Anne Gullickson, president and founder of the education advocacy group, . 

“We know that transportation barriers are real and, although we have a robust set of options for families, you really don’t have a choice unless you can get there. So this bill is all about access to public learning opportunities that will benefit each individual child,” said Gullickson, who testified at the hearing.

Sponsored by Senate Education Chair Sen. Paul Boyer, the bill also includes a component for schools and cities to receive grants to do data analysis to find more efficient ways to transport those students who need it.

What the bill provides

The bill would create the Transportation Support for Enrollment Options Grant program, which would:

-Allow a parent to apply for a stipend of up to $80 per month for driving or mass transit costs for their student to attend a public district or charter school. Parents would be eligible for the funding if they need financial support to transport their child from home to school and back or if they live within 20 miles of the school district boundary of the selected school but a bus is not available in their neighborhood. 

– Require at least 25 percent of the grants support rural and remote  proposals from districts, municipalities and parents.

-Provide modernization grants to municipalities to improve bus routes to transport students more efficiently and safely to their chosen school.  

Modernization grants would support innovation in transportation 

The bill includes modernization grants to support the development of innovations in public school transportation including:

-Transportation resource sharing with school district and charter schools.

-Developing or contracting with rideshare programs.

-Planning and construction of bus stops in front of low-income and multi-family housing or at locations where there are high numbers of open enrollment students.  

-To reevaluate bus routes to eliminate ride time for students.

Supporters say options should be available to all, not just affluent

Arizona has one of the most robust open enrollment systems in the nation.

Gullickson said it’s important that families of all incomes, not just the affluent, have access to transportation to attend the schools of their choice.  

“SB 1683 is all about expanding transportation options for students and families that are utilizing public school options, whether that’s through open enrollment in their existing schools districts or a neighboring school district or a public charter school,” she said.   

Organizations that support the bill 

A number of organizations support the legislation including:

Arizona Charter Schools Association 

Excellence in Education 

Yes, Every Kid

Stand For Children

Americans for Prosperity 

Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce & Industry 

To read the text of the bill, visit: . 

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A unique program at Arizona State University (ASU) that partners top students with corporations and government agencies to advance prototypes, product development and other design projects is gaining traction as a talent pipeline for modern industry. 

The program, called Practice Labs, also is helping attract businesses to the state. Not only do companies and agencies get to partner with the brightest students, they have access to ASU’s vast research offerings, laboratories and state-of-the-art as well.

Practice Labs is one example of ASU’s national leadership role in commercializing ideas and sending students into high paying careers, said Jon Relvas, who oversees the program as director of business development, Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, ASU Knowledge Enterprise. 

“The essence of this is to get students applied experience while in school so when they leave, whether it’s an undergraduate or a graduate degree program, they’re leaving ASU with experience in their field of study,” Relvas said. “Companies want to know students have worked on some challenges, and these students are leaving with major accomplishments on their rĂ©sumĂ©s.”

Practice labs solve complex industry challenges

Practice Labs is designed to help businesses and government agencies achieve their “large objectives,” Relvas said.

“This is meant to help industry go after their vision, and how do we help them get there and utilize all the resources across ASU to do it.”   

Test labs from interior design to space technology 

Each Practice Lab is created to solve the specialized need of a corporate sponsor. When a company or government agency becomes a sponsor, Practice Labs coordinates with ASU’s to find the best students for the test lab. 

Corporate sponsors can pick from any number of programs for a Practice Lab, from software design and development, drone technology, data science, and interior design to space technology. Among the most popular are engineering within Ira A. Fulton and design programs within the Herberger Institute for including architectural design, environmental design, prototype development, and product redesign.  

Since Practice Labs was initiated about three years ago, the program is seeing results including one spinout. 

The company CYR3CON, collaborated with ASU to form a Practice Lab tasked with developing  cyberattack identification software. Students helped accelerate development of a system that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and data mining to predict when hackers are planning to strike. CYR3CON recently filed its first patent for the software which will be commercialized as part of the company’s suite of products. 

Phoenix Children’s Hospital, one of the highest ranking and largest pediatric hospitals in the country, also formed a Practice Lab with ASU students to create an app that would replace outdated medical forms. The app is designed to eliminate much of the time doctors must spend filling out electronic records every day.  

Practice Labs available year-round 

Unlike internships, Practice Labs are available to industry year-round. Also, projects are not time-limited. Companies and organizations can work with student and faculty teams from a few months to a few years, Relvas said.

“This opens up opportunities for businesses that have a challenge that they want to solve in January and they don’t want to wait until June or July for summer internships to roll around. They’re also not locked into the semester schedule.” 

ASU focus on entrepreneurship and commercialism pays off 

ASU’s focus on collaboration and research with corporate partners is one reason it has been named the most university five years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. 

Much of the credit goes to ASU President Michael Crow, whose vision has transformed Arizona’s largest university into a powerhouse of entrepreneurship and research. In fiscal 2019, its research expenditures totaled $640 million.  

Today, ASU is considered a magnet for industries like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract manufacturer of silicone chips. The company recently plans to build a $12 billion plant in Phoenix. The project will create over 1,600 new high-tech jobs and generate thousands of additional jobs in the state.

Communications technology company Zoom also recently announced its plans for ain Arizona. It is looking for space near ASU where it is actively recruiting student engineers. For more information about the practice labs, visit: .

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Cox Communications, the largest private telecom company in America, is involved in two initiatives this month as part of its ongoing effort to meet a “great need” among  low-income students and their families in Arizona during the pandemic. 

In its latest effort, Cox partnered with the Arizona Cardinals and State Farm last week to give 150 computers and one free year of high speed internet to 150 families in Phoenix. Families in the Phoenix Elementary and Roosevelt school districts are receiving the free computers and one free year of Cox’s Connect2Compete high speed internet.

“As schools continue to find ways to educate kids outside the classroom, we don’t want to see kids get left behind just because their family can’t afford a computer and an internet connection in the home,” said Susan Anable, Cox’s southwest vice president of public affairs.

All of the students selected qualify for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or live in public housing.

Access to technology at home is critical to the quality of a student’s education, yet many students in America lack internet access, Anable said. One-third of households with children 6 to 17 years old do not have high speed internet in their homes, to Cox. 

To address the need, Cox offers an option for low-income families with school-age children through its Connect2Compete . Qualifying families can receive home internet with wifi for $9.95 a month. 

Of the parents enrolled in the program, 91 percent agree that low-cost internet service at home gives children a leg up for high school graduation.

Cox Charities accepting grant applications through May 29

Cox also announced last week that it is accepting through May 29 for grants up to $10,000 each from Arizona nonprofits that work with youth and education. 

Now more than ever, nonprofits are relying on giving to be able to continue to support children in their communities, said Anable, citing a new report conducted by the Arizona State University (ASU) Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. 

The , which surveyed 449 Arizona nonprofits, portrays a sector struggling under the weight of the pandemic:

•        Nearly 80 percent reported a reduction in normal services
•        Eleven percent are not operating at all
•        Almost 40 percent of all arts and culture nonprofits are not operating
•        Just under 20 percent will not be able meet payroll in eight weeks
•        Only 5 percent report they are operating normally

That’s why supporting them is so critical right now, Anable said. 

“Continuing our history of supporting the communities in Arizona where our employees live and work, Cox recognizes how vital our youth and education-focused nonprofit community is to provide vital support for children in our state. At a time when donations are down sharply due to the pandemic, our 3,200 employees are extending a helping hand.”   

Last year, Cox Charities distributed nearly $570,000 to more than 100 youth and education-focused nonprofits across Arizona. Cox Charities funds are raised through employee-driven fundraisers and personal contributions throughout the year, as well as community fundraising partnerships. 

For the guidelines and grant applications, go to: .

Cox has almost 3 million customers in Arizona

As the largest private telecom company in the U.S., Cox has 6 million residential and commercial customers. Cox has about 20,000 employees nationwide. Total revenues in 2016 were $11 billion. 

While Cox operates cable systems in 18 states, almost half its customers are in Arizona where it employs more than 3,200 workers. In metro Phoenix, it serves more than 2.5 million subscribers and in Southern Arizona approximately 400,000. 

Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox of Ohio.

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