PROPOSITION 104

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2002

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF ARIZONA; AMENDING ARTICLE IX, SECTION 21, CONSTITUTION OF ARIZONA; RELATING TO SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS.

Protect Teacher Salaries

During the last election, voters approved a sales tax for teacher pay raises. Unfortunately schools may not be able to give teachers these raises! Why? Spending limits in the Arizona Constitution restrict schools from paying the increased salaries. Proposition 104 would exempt voter-approved teacher pay raises from these constitutional limits.

I urge you to join me in voting in favor of Proposition 104. We must protect voter-approved teacher raises so that Arizona can continue to improve its schools.

TO HELP ARIZONA'S TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, VOTE YES ON PROP 104!!!

Two years ago Arizona voters passed Proposition 301(Education 2000), a major increase in education funding. But because of a drafting error, our schools might not be able to spend that money. Proposition 104 corrects that error, allowing the money to be spent where the voters intended.

In Education 2000, the Classroom Site Fund was established to give direct aid to our state's classroom teachers. Monies in the fund would go to raising teacher pay, lowering class sizes, and reducing the dropout rate. Last year alone the Classroom Site Fund generated over $225 million for these programs, and it should provide much more in the years ahead.

But a drafting error could prevent future money from reaching our classrooms. School districts are limited by the state constitution in how much they can spend each year. Education 2000 money was supposed to be exempted from that limit, but the ballot language failed to include that in the text of the proposition. In 2001, because of the added revenue from Education 2000, the districts were $123 million over the limit. Had the legislature not voted to override the limit, thousands of teachers would have faced pay cuts and could have lost millions in classroom improvements. It would have been a major educational crisis.

Proposition 104 will prevent such a crisis from ever happening. It will exempt Classroom Site Fund money from the spending limit, so that our schools receive the money that was promised to them in Education 2000. A vote for Prop 104 will greatly improve the quality of education in our state, and make sure that our money does not go to waste. For our teachers and for our children, vote YES on 104!!!

In November, 2000, Arizona voters approved Proposition 301 to infuse new dollars into our education system. These funds are targeted to direct classroom needs in our K-12 system, workforce development in our community colleges and university research. Arizona children deserve the best opportunities to learn and this requires a strong commitment to education. The vote in support of Proposition 301 was a strong message from Arizona citizens to make education a top priority, recognizing that our education system is vital to the future of our economy and a productive citizenry.

Proposition 104 is a critical follow-up measure. Support for this proposition will not cost another dime, but will allow our K-12 system to use the dollars promised by Proposition 301, which are likely to be held up in the future by a constitutional limit on spending. The Legislature can give a one-year exemption from the limit, but a permanent solution is necessary to make sure that the dollars raised through Proposition 301 are spent for that purpose.

The voters did not approve Proposition 301 to leave those funds in a bank account; they wanted results in the classroom. Join me and re-affirm your support for public education.

Please vote "YES" on Proposition 104.

YES on Prop. 104

Arizona's Constitution limits what the Legislature can spend every year. It allows increases for population growth and inflation. However, during the 1990's Arizona fell well behind in keeping up with inflationary costs for k-12 education. Consequently, Arizonans took matters into their own hands and made a significant commitment to our teachers.

Two years ago, Arizona voters passed Education 2000, a comprehensive plan to improve our schools. The proposal was historic: it put meaningful resources into reducing class sizes, increasing teacher pay, and lowering the dropout rate. The measure authorized a 6/10th of a percent sales tax increase for the next 20 years to help fund an educational system that was severely under-funded. Now, it was determined, this law needs a technical fix to allow schools to use the revenue Arizonans approved in the last election. Without this fix, the revenues from the sales tax will go unused in the very near future. Classroom size reduction and teacher pay increases based on performance will be two important classroom items that will lose this voter-approved funding source. Voting YES on proposition 104 will ensure that we will use the dollars dedicated to education by the voters rather than simply languish somewhere in a government account.

Meaningful school accountability and meaningful resources in combination with parental involvement and school choice will bring our school system out of the shadows and improve our children's chances for success. Please join with me and support this important issue. Vote YES for Proposition 104.

TO HELP ARIZONA'S TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, VOTE YES ON PROP 104!!!

Two years ago Arizona voters passed Proposition 301 (Education2000) a major increase in education funding. But because of a drafting error, our schools might not be able to spend that money. Proposition 104 corrects that error, allowing the money to be spent where voters intended.

In Education 2000, the Classroom Site Fund was established to give direct aid to our state's classroom teachers. Monies in the fund would go to raising teacher salaries, reducing class size, and reducing the dropout rate. Last year alone the Classroom Site Fund generated over $225 million for these programs, and it should provide millions more in the years ahead.

But a drafting error could prevent that money from reaching our classrooms. School districts are limited by the state constitution in how much they can spend each year. Education 2000 money was supposed to be exempted from that limit, but the ballot failed to include that in the text of the proposition. In 2001, because of the added revenue from Education 2000 (Proposition 301), the districts were $123 million over the limit. Had the legislature not voted to override the limit, thousands of teachers would have faced pay cuts and could have lost millions in classroom improvements. It would have been a major educational crisis.

Proposition 104 will prevent such a crisis from ever happening. It will exempt Classroom Site Fund money from the spending limit, so that our schools receive the money that was promised to them in Education 2000. A vote for Prop 104 will greatly improve the quality of education in our state, and make sure that our money does not go to waste. For our teachers and for our children, vote YES on 104!!!

Vote Yes on Proposition 104

In November of 2000, the citizens of Arizona passed Education 2000 (Proposition 301). Education 2000 increased the sales tax by
6/10ths of a cent with all of the new dollars available to improve teacher salaries and education programs for students. However, Education 2000 did not complete one important step. That step was to make sure these new dollars are exempt from Arizona's constitutional spending limit. The state constitution limits the amount of money that school districts can spend each year. Because of a drafting error, money generated from Education 2000 counts against that limit. This means that our schools may not be able to spend the money that we voted to them, leaving Arizona's teachers without the money and classroom improvements that they were promised. Without this exemption, millions of new dollars could end up not being available to Arizona Schools.

We urge the citizens of Arizona to vote yes on Proposition 104 and ensure that these dollars will be spent on Arizona's classrooms. The taxes to pay for this program are being collected, but Proposition 104 is needed to ensure that these dollars can be spent in the future. Arizona's teachers need every dollar available to improve K-12 education for the students of our state.

VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 104

As part of the business community, we supported a measure that appeared on the ballot two years ago that provides additional monies to teachers and the classroom. Proposition 104 ensures that the additional monies voters' earmarked for teacher salaries will, in fact, go to teacher salaries. In addition, Proposition 104 ensures that interest monies earned off the sale and lease of school trust lands can be spent to increase teacher salaries.

Proposition 104 is the answer to a mistake that was made two years ago. While voters' approved increasing teacher salaries and classroom opportunities for such items as dropout prevention and class size reduction, technical language was left out that ALLOWS THESE ADDITIONAL MONIES TO BE SPENT. If this mistake is not corrected by voting Yes on Proposition 104, it could result in tragic ramifications.

Without the passage of Proposition 104, monies that were supposed to increase the classroom site fund will be left sitting in a pot, UNABLE TO BE SPENT, all because of a technical mistake.

Don't let a technical mistake harm our teachers and limit our children's classroom opportunities. Protect your investment in quality education and increased teacher salaries by voting YES on Proposition 104.

YES ON PROPOSITION 104 - ENSURE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS REACH THE CLASSROOM

Two years ago, Arizona voters passed Proposition 301, and in doing so supported a small increase in sales taxes to pay for increased teacher salaries, and additional funds for dropout prevention and reduced class sizes. Without the passage of Proposition 104, however, these improvements for our schools are threatened, since there is no authority to spend the money. Proposition 104 fixes this problem.

Those who drafted Proposition 301 simply failed to include the authority to spend the funds in the Proposition. It was an understandable oversight in a complicated law. That failure however, may prevent teacher salaries from being increased, could hinder dropout prevention programs and could result in increased class sizes. We voters approved additional funding for teachers and students. It is now appropriate for us to fix this drafting mistake and allow the dollars to flow to our teachers and students.

Please do not let a scrivener's error result in lower teacher compensation or limited classroom opportunities for our students. Please Vote Yes on Proposition 104.

THE ARIZONA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION URGES YOU TO VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 104!

The Arizona Constitution prohibits the total expenditures of school districts from exceeding the growth allowed by increases in the number of students and increases in the rate of inflation. The Constitution does allow for a number of exceptions, such as voter approved overrides and bonds, from this limit.

In November 2000, voters approved a ballot measure to provide additional monies for increased teacher compensation and opportunities to reduce class size, provide before and after school programs to enhance student achievement and to help reduce the dropout rate. Unfortunately, the 2000 ballot measure did not provide for an exception from the Constitutional limit. Without this exception, school districts will not be able to spend these already voter approved monies for the benefit of teachers and the students in the classroom. Proposition 104 corrects this oversight by allowing an exception from the Constitutional Limit for these voter approved monies. Proposition 104 does not raise taxes - it allows taxes already being collected to be spent as voters intended!

Proposition 104 also provides for an exception from the Constitutional limit for additional revenues generated through the sale or lease of school trust lands that are specified to go into the Classroom Site Fund. Proposition 300 is on this ballot to provide voter protection for these revenues to also go into the Classroom Site Fund. Without this exception, these critical dollars will not go into the classrooms and into teacher salaries. YOU CAN MAKE SURE THE MONIES GO WHERE YOU, THE VOTERS, INTENDED BY VOTING YES ON PROPOSITION 104.

VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 104

Proposition 104 is not a tax increase. Proposition 104 is about fixing an oversight in the education sales tax initiative from the 2000 election. Simply put: if Proposition 104 does not pass, we will continue to have sales tax collected for teacher salaries but not be able to use it to improve education in this state. TEACHER SALARIES WILL BE DRAMATICALLY CUT IF PROPOSITION 104 DOES NOT PASS.

It almost seems nonsensical to have monies collected and not be able to spend them; however, that is just the scenario that will play out if this omission is not corrected. By voting YES on Proposition 104, we uphold the intent of voters by making sure these sales tax dollars go to increase teacher salaries and student programs.

We always tell our children that it is okay to make a mistake as long as you learn from it and correct it as soon as possible. It is important that the voters help correct this mistake before it causes any problems. We have that opportunity today. Vote YES on Proposition 104 - upholding voter-approved intent and protecting teacher salaries.

To Correct an Error that Could Cost Our Schools Billions, VOTE FOR PROP 104!

Proposition 104 is common sense: it allows Arizona's teachers and our children to receive the money and resources that we have already voted to them.

Two years ago, Arizona voters passed Education 2000 to increase education funding for lowering class sizes, reducing the dropout rate, and raising teacher pay. After years of ranking at or near the bottom in per pupil spending and teacher salaries, we made a strong commitment to educating our children. But now that money may be in jeopardy.

The state constitution limits the amount of money that school districts can spend each year. Because of a drafting error, money generated from Education 2000 counts against that limit. This means that our schools may not be able to spend the money that we voted to them, leaving Arizona's teachers without the money and classroom improvements that they were promised. Our children would be the losers again.

In 2001, because of the added revenue from Education 2000, Arizona's schools districts were $123 million over the limit. The state legislature voted to override the limit for that year, but that was only a temporary solution. Without Proposition 104, our schools could lose over $225 million in funding next year alone, and billions more would go to waste in later years. We must act to save this money for our children and our schools!

Prop 104 will allow our schools to spend the money that they already have. It corrects the error in Education 2000, continuing our commitment to improving the quality of education in Arizona. For our children and for their teachers, vote YES on 104!