PHOENIX — Arizona voters are deciding this fall whether larger school districts should be required to spend more of their money in the classroom, KTAR News reported.
Proposition 320 would require districts in Maricopa and Pinal counties, and any district with more than 7,500 students, to spend 60% of operating budgets on direct classroom instruction. Districts below that mark would have to raise their share by 0.5% a year or lose some state funding. The auditor general would define what counts.
Arizona schools spent 52.1% of their budgets in the classroom in fiscal 2025, the lowest share since tracking began in 2001, according to the auditor general.
The Republican-controlled Legislature referred the measure to the ballot in June. Supporters, including the Goldwater Institute’s Matt Beienberg and state Rep. Matt Gress, say it would raise teacher pay without requiring cuts.
Opponents, including state Sen. Lauren Kuby and Gilbert Public Schools board member Jill Humpherys, say it could force cuts to services such as nurses, safety staff and behavior specialists, and would take away local control.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
Sources: KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
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