Tuesday, May 18th is Election Day. The addition of the one cent per dollar sales tax is critical to the future of education funding in Arizona. Without the tax, Glendale Union High School District will lose an additional 9.5 million in funding. What will our schools look like next year if the tax does not pass? Read more…
March 30th, 2010
It’s Time to Come Together
SupportOurSchoolsAZ.org is hosting a conversation with citizens and elected officials to build a stable and sustainable public education system. You are invited to attend, Monday, April 12, 2010 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Location is ASU - West Campus, 4701 West Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85306 in the La Sala Conference Room. To reserve a spot call 602-686-5338. Together we can make education a top priority.
March 24th, 2010
Yes on 100
After years of budget cuts, Glendale Union High School District is being forced to do more with less.
Like other Arizona school districts, Glendale Union was called upon in 2009 to reduce operating expenditures to make up for a State Revenue shortfall. The district was able to save over $2 million in costs through a hiring freeze, soft capital cuts and other program modifications to its maintenance and operations budget for the 2009 school year. Prior to 2009 the district has lost in excess of $27 million in building renewal funding as a result of state budget reductions. The district has relied for over a decade on limited resources from its declining unrestricted capital fund and bond proceeds to maintain its nine high schools.
Fiscal Year 2010 state budget cuts force Glendale Union High School District to cut programs
Budget cuts force Glendale Union to cut programs and increase class size at all nine district high schools.
Glendale Union made significant reductions to its 2010 budget in response to growing concerns over state funding. In all over 74.4 positions were cut from the 2009 budget to offset anticipated reductions in State funding. The following is a list of positions lost:
Central Office:
Administrator 1.0
Clerical 1.0
Information and Technology 2.0
Curriculum Coordinators 2.4
District Programs
School within A School 3.0
Local Schools
Teachers (increased class size) 20.0
Instructional Aides 20.0
Media Center Assistants 9.0
Counselors 2.5
Equipment Managers 9.0
Counseling Center Assistants 4.5
In addition to the above staffing changes, the district took the following actions:
· The district froze salaries at the 2009 salary schedule rates giving no increases for longevity or inflation.
· The district reduced all Maintenance and Operation Budget supply lines by 20%,
· The district eliminated Maintenance and Operation travel budgets,
· The district cut memberships to professional organizations
· The district assessed all employees a $100 charge for their individual medical benefits.
· The district froze all soft capital expenditures
· The district froze all non emergency building renewal projects.
· The district has implemented a utility reduction program
· The district has developed internal sub program using administrators, social workers, mentors and coordinators as instructional subs to reduce sub costs to the district.
· The district has developed internal sub program using administrators, social workers mentors and the GUEA President as instructional subs to reduce sub costs to the district.
The 2011 school budget is being built now and will be decided upon in the next several weeks. The numbers appear alarming.
Education, from kindergarten to the state universities, could take the biggest hit as lawmakers try to resolve the state’s looming budget deficits. A temporary 1-cent-per-dollar increase in the state sales tax will be presented to the voters on May 18. If not approved, an alternative budget plan will cut an additional $918 million from the state’s budget, with education - from K-12 to universities - absorbing 60 percent of the cuts.
For Glendale Union additional reductions will amount to approximately 8 million more in program cuts including:
- Loss of all of Soft Capital funding (an additional cut of approximately $1.3 million)
- Loss of all Capital Outlay Revenue Funding (CORL) (cut of approximately $5 Million)
- The Base Level will be reduced by approximately a 2% reduction in the Base Level (cut of approximately $1.5 Million)
These new cuts will be made on top of reductions already made to district programs.
What can we do to insure that the quality of education does not decrease during these difficult times?
We are asking parents, teachers, administrators and all concerned community members to join us in getting proposition 100 passed. Please visit the YES on 100 website today (www.yeson100.com). Sign up with Citizens for Quality Education at www.citizensforaqualityeducation.com, email your friends, and tell your neighbors.
As we have proven in the past, together we do make a difference. We cannot afford to allow any further cuts to K-12 education. Arizona already ranks at the bottom in state per pupil funding. Show elected officials that you care about the quality of your schools.
The heaviest burden a child can carry is a second rate education. Don’t let our children pay the price of Budget Cuts.
Vote YES on 100
March 23rd, 2010
Yes on 100
Citizens for Quality Education, in support of Glendale Union High School District, urges you to vote Yes on 100. We are a not-profit organization with a primary mission to advocate for a quality education for the 15,000 students attending high school within GUHSD.
October 10th, 2009
(Archived) Vote YES on November 3
Glendale Union High School District is dedicated to putting as much money in the classroom as possible and keeping administrative costs low. Help keep this balance by voting YES for the M&O override on November 3.
Please help us get the word out by:
-Asking your neighbors to vote yes
-Texting all your friends in the district and ask them to vote yes
-Email all your friends in the district and ask them to vote yes
-Ask your friends to talk, text, email and phone their friends
Remember - a YES vote for GUHSD will NOT RAISE TAXES!!
Will you place a Vote Yes sign in your front yard? Call Don DeBusk at 602-418-3250 and he will arrange to have the sign delivered and placed in your yard.
Thank you for your continued support!
www.citizensforaqualityeducation.com
www.guhsdaz.org
August 4th, 2009
(Archived) We Need YOU!!!
We need community members who are willing to help pass the M & O Override election. Here are some ways to become involved:
- Help place election signs
- Make phone calls
- Place mailing labels on postcards
- TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS
- VOTE YES on November 3, 2009
To receive e-mail updates, meeting dates and information from Citizens for Quality Education, click on the link below.
https://app.expressemailmarketing.com/Survey.aspx?SFID=61766
July 30th, 2009
(Archived) Budget Shortfalls
Recent articles published in our local newspapers regarding state budget shortfalls and the impact it is having on our schools causes us great concern. Despite the fact that Arizona’s per pupil funding for education is at the bottom of states, our schools have been called upon to make severe cuts to already inadequate school budgets. Our districts are facing another severe funding crisis if present overrides are not renewed. Below you will find complete and factual information:
June 2nd, 2009
(Archived) What are overrides for?
In February 1990, the Glendale Union High School District overwhelmingly passed its first override. Since that time the district has, as required by law, successfully renewed its override every 5 years. Override funds are used to supplement the state funding formula and have been used in Glendale Union High School District to provide lower class size, increased academic offerings, greater student support services, increased local school support staffing, as well as increased athletic and extra curricular programs.
The need for override funding stems from a lack of adequate state resources as evidenced by research on the states per pupil funding and the overwhelming number of Arizona districts operating under override programs. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Arizona ranks 49th in per pupil funding among the states. This lack of commitment on the part of our legislative body has forced Arizona schools to depend on the use of overrides to supplement state funding and offer competitive programs. Approximately 80% of all Arizona school districts and virtually every major district in the state are operating on existing overrides.
MAJOR OVERRIDE DISTRICTS:
-Tempe Union
-Phoenix Union
-Mesa Unified
-Scottsdale Unified
-Peoria Unified
-Deer Valley Unified
-Washington Elementary
-Glendale Elementary
-Paradise Valley Unified
In conclusion, we don’t have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem!
-Arizona spends at the bottom on per public funding
-Our students deserve a comprehensive education program
-Our quality neighborhood high schools increase our property values
-Finally, maintaining our safe schools is critical to maintaining our safe neighborhoods
April 17th, 2009
(Archived) Citizens Committee Voted to Recommend M & O Override Election
The Citizens Blue Ribbon committee has been meeting since February. Representatives from all schools have learned more about the components associated with our Maintenance and Operations (M&O) budget and the functions of an override. This committee was asked by the Governing Board to bring back a recommendation regarding whether or not to call for an election to continue override funding. The committee met last night and voted unanimously to recommend that an M&O override election be called for in November. At the May 6th Governing Board meeting the co-chairs for the Citizens Blue Ribbon committee will be presenting their recommendation to the Governing Board. The Board will then vote on the recommendation at the May 20th meeting.
February 27th, 2009
(Archived) GUHSD Affected by State Budget Crisis
In the last four years, district revenues have increased due to student growth and state base support level increases designed to provide for inflation and retirement increases. The state’s share of district revenues has increased due to student growth, inflationary funding, shifting of property tax responsibilities from business to the state, and legislative suspension of county equalization taxes. District expenditures have correspondingly increased, primarily due to inflationary increases in utility rates, retirement contribution rates, health care costs, special education, and transportation costs.
The district believes that the sound fiscal management demonstrated combined with the outstanding instructional and support staff contributes directly to the district’s 7 excelling and 2 highly performing schools. We believe that the 2008-2009 budget reductions will be managed with travel reductions, capital and hiring freezes, foregoing current capital needs, reduced professional development, and expenditure of carryover funds. Proposed 2009-2010 reductions will more substantially impact district operations and staffing.
Read more…