By Let’s Vote Yes for Arizona Schools
More than 20 school districts are waiting on approval of Prop 123
PHOENIX – For Arizona teachers, many of whom have not received a pay raise since before the Great Recession, passage of Proposition 123 means a needed and necessary pay raise this year.
So far, more than 20 Arizona school districts have released or passed provisional budgets that include pay raises for teachers. But those raises will evaporate in most communities without the guaranteed dollars that Proposition 123 provides.
“School boards across the state are struggling to attract and retain good, quality teachers,” said Tim Ogle, executive director of the Arizona School Boards Association. “School board members around Arizona have indicated that if Proposition 123 passes, teacher raises will be the first line item in their budgets and the first item on their agendas to pass. But, without the dollars that Proposition 123 brings, teachers will continue to receive unacceptably low pay for the work they’re doing to educate our kids and we will continue to see teachers flee Arizona for other states. At the end of the day, the only way to improve education in Arizona is with a high-quality teacher in the classroom.”
“Teacher pay in Arizona is embarrassingly low,” said Andrew Morrill, president of the Arizona Education Association. “Many, if not most, teachers in Arizona have gone six or seven years without even a nominal increase in their pay, hence our teacher shortage crisis. If Proposition 123 doesn’t pass, it’ll send a message to our teachers that we don’t appreciate or respect the work they’re doing to educate our kids, and they’ll continue leaving Arizona for higher paying teaching positions in other states or leaving the profession altogether. Prop 123 is the first step to get teachers in nearly all districts a raise this year, and keeping them in Arizona.”
“Arizona teachers have gone too long without getting the compensation they deserve,” said Sharon Harper, chairwoman of the Let’s Vote Yes for Arizona Schools, in support of Prop 123 campaign. “Let’s pass Proposition 123 so we can stem the tide of teachers leaving our schools and our state. The infusion of these dollars will get money in the classroom this year. If we do nothing, this will be the equivalent of a pay cut to teachers in Arizona.”
List of districts with an immediate impact on teacher salaries:
Alhambra Elementary School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 2% increase
Balsz School District
- If Prop 123 passes: $820 increase flat to the Base for All + 2% increase to the Base for all pre-2009 hires
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: CSF/PBP only
Buckeye Elementary School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 4.9% Stipend (FY16) + 3% increase to the Base (FY17)
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 0% increase
Cartwright School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 6% increase
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 1% increase
Casa Grande Elementary School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 4.5%
Chandler ESPoC
- If Prop 123 passes 5% increase to the Base + 5% stipend
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 1% stipend
Chandler Unified School District
- If Prop 123 passes: Upwards of 6% increase to Base
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 1% in one-time stipend
Clarkdale-Jerome School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 8% increase to the Base
Crane Elementary School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 2.5% to 15% increase depending on years of service
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: No increase and higher insurance deductibles
Crane Elementary Education Support Staff
- If Prop 123 passes: 2.5% to 17% increase depending on years of service
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: No increase and higher insurance deductibles
Flagstaff Unified School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 2.5% increase (FY16) + 1% increase (FY17)
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: No increase
Glendale Elementary School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 2%-5% + to Base dep. on Years of Service
Littleton Elementary School District
- If Prop 123 passes: (FY17) 1% increase to All + 2.3% – 4.35%, depending on in-District years 0 – 9 years
Madison Elementary School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 1% increase to the Base
Marana Unified School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 4% increase (FY16) + 3.5% increase to Base (FY17)
Maricopa Unified School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 4% increase + PLUS HIRING
Mesa Public Schools
- If Prop 123 passes: Additional compensation for current employees & increasing the starting salary for new teachers
Mingus Union High School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 3% increase (FY16) + 4% increase (FY17)
Paradise Valley Unified School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 4-6% (in part to Base)
Peoria Unified School District
- If Prop 123 passes: 6.8% increase to base salary and one-time increases of 5.33% for certified staff and teachers
Phoenix Union CEA
- If Prop 123 passes: 3% Stipend (FY16)/2.5% increase to Base (FY17)
Phoenix Union CTA
- If Prop 123 passes: 5-6% increase in Steps/Loyalty
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 0.5% increase to Base
Sahuarita Unified Schools
- If Prop 123 passes: 5% increase
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 3% increase
Sierra Vista Unified School District
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 40% of the SVUSD employees will get a pay cut back to their 2014-2015 pay rates, and the remaining 60% will be frozen at their 2015-2016 pay
Sunnyside Unified School District
- If Prop 123 passes: Re-establish Salary Schedule ($2K – $8K varies if pass)
Tolleson Union High School District
- If Prop 123 passes: Minimum 5.9% increase
- If Prop 123 doesn’t pass: 1.5% increase