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Cuts may affect schools' FFA, FBLA programs
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
The May 18 election that will ask voters to approve a 1-percent sales tax increase may be necessary for school districts to keep grant-funded programs such as FBLA and FFA.
Before voting last week to approve the special election, the legislature also created a plan of more cuts that could come next year to balance the more than $3 billion deficit lawmakers are expecting.
Lawmakers have repeatedly stated that while budget cuts were tough this year, next year the state of the economy will be worse, and cuts will be steeper.
To adjust to the expected shortfall, Arizona Gov. Janet Brewer has been calling for a temporary increase in the state's 5.6 percent sales tax rate. If approved in the May 18 election, the increase would add a penny to every dollar of a purchase.
David Woodall, superintendent of the Benson School District, said the sales tax increase would help the state, since lawmakers estimate it would bring an added $1 billion to the budget.
If not approved, the legislature will resume cuts to all state departments, with education taking the biggest hit.
One idea being considered is removing all but $57,700 of the $11.4 million from the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Vocational Education Block Grant.
Woodall said this would put a burden on the schools to continue programs like FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), DECA (marketing), HOSA (Health Occupations Student Association), FEA (Future Educators), FFA (Future Farmers of America) and skills classes that teach construction trades to students.
Woodall said all of these programs are vital to student development, whether it's preparing them for college or future careers, and rural and metropolitan schools take advantage of the grant-funded resources.
Tina Gudvangen, Benson Schools' CTE Director, said the cuts would be devastating.
"These organizations provide superb opportunities for our students that they would never have access to were it not for state CTE funding," she said. "Also, our CTE programs would have a cut in funding, which will definitely mean a reduction in what we're able to do with students. Benson High School is fortunate that it would not mean eliminating CTE programs. Some schools will have to cut their agriculture, business and culinary programs. I know our state is in a crisis and cuts must be made. I would hope our community is informed so that the wrong cuts aren't implemented."
Woodall said while the programs at Benson High School wouldn't necessarily be eliminated, they would suffer.
Those cuts would mean no more state and national competition, since grant funding pays for a lot of the travel expenses.
Over the years, Benson programs have been extremely successful, winning both at the state and national levels annually.
"These proposed cuts are getting a lot of attention," Woodall said. "We'll see how this election goes, but yes, with these programs, students are able to compete and learn important skills like public speaking and agriculture."
Woodall said he's not sure how far this budget proposal will go if voters reject the sales tax increase in May, because it would also mean a $34 million loss in federal grant funding.
It is estimated that CTE provides funding to 72 programs statewide for 104,628 students in 328 high schools and 137 school districts, of which $64,385 would be cut from Benson's program.
"If this were to be approved we would lose $14,629 in funding for our CTE programs," said Kate Mueller, St. David School supt.
"This would include extended school year for vocational programs, supplies/materials, and professional development.
"As a district we are already down to providing only the barest of essentials for instructional programs. This would only make it more difficult to give our students the services and programs that they deserve."
The May 18 election that will ask voters to approve a 1-percent sales tax increase may be necessary for school districts to keep grant-funded programs such as FBLA and FFA.
Before voting last week to approve the special election, the legislature also created a plan of more cuts that could come next year to balance the more than $3 billion deficit lawmakers are expecting.
Lawmakers have repeatedly stated that while budget cuts were tough this year, next year the state of the economy will be worse, and cuts will be steeper.
To adjust to the expected shortfall, Arizona Gov. Janet Brewer has been calling for a temporary increase in the state's 5.6 percent sales tax rate. If approved in the May 18 election, the increase would add a penny to every dollar of a purchase.
David Woodall, superintendent of the Benson School District, said the sales tax increase would help the state, since lawmakers estimate it would bring an added $1 billion to the budget.
If not approved, the legislature will resume cuts to all state departments, with education taking the biggest hit.
One idea being considered is removing all but $57,700 of the $11.4 million from the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Vocational Education Block Grant.
Woodall said this would put a burden on the schools to continue programs like FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), DECA (marketing), HOSA (Health Occupations Student Association), FEA (Future Educators), FFA (Future Farmers of America) and skills classes that teach construction trades to students.
Woodall said all of these programs are vital to student development, whether it's preparing them for college or future careers, and rural and metropolitan schools take advantage of the grant-funded resources.
Tina Gudvangen, Benson Schools' CTE Director, said the cuts would be devastating.
"These organizations provide superb opportunities for our students that they would never have access to were it not for state CTE funding," she said. "Also, our CTE programs would have a cut in funding, which will definitely mean a reduction in what we're able to do with students. Benson High School is fortunate that it would not mean eliminating CTE programs. Some schools will have to cut their agriculture, business and culinary programs. I know our state is in a crisis and cuts must be made. I would hope our community is informed so that the wrong cuts aren't implemented."
Woodall said while the programs at Benson High School wouldn't necessarily be eliminated, they would suffer.
Those cuts would mean no more state and national competition, since grant funding pays for a lot of the travel expenses.
Over the years, Benson programs have been extremely successful, winning both at the state and national levels annually.
"These proposed cuts are getting a lot of attention," Woodall said. "We'll see how this election goes, but yes, with these programs, students are able to compete and learn important skills like public speaking and agriculture."
Woodall said he's not sure how far this budget proposal will go if voters reject the sales tax increase in May, because it would also mean a $34 million loss in federal grant funding.
It is estimated that CTE provides funding to 72 programs statewide for 104,628 students in 328 high schools and 137 school districts, of which $64,385 would be cut from Benson's program.
"If this were to be approved we would lose $14,629 in funding for our CTE programs," said Kate Mueller, St. David School supt.
"This would include extended school year for vocational programs, supplies/materials, and professional development.
"As a district we are already down to providing only the barest of essentials for instructional programs. This would only make it more difficult to give our students the services and programs that they deserve."
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of bensonnews-sun.com.
Phillip D wrote on Feb 10, 2010 3:18 PM:
They are continuing to make cuts to valuable programs like the one mentioned in this article that is especially valuable to people in small, rural communities like Benson.
The new sales tax is not a solution, but all the giveaways and tax breaks are a huge part of the problem. Private school tution tax breaks costs the state $52 million a year. That is my tax dollars and your tax dollars going to rich peiople to send their kids to private school for free, and this tax giveaway is part of the reason our state is broke and valuable programs like FBLA and FFA are not funded.
Big corporations have been given tax breaks , like the Single Sales Tax Formula that allows Intell to not pay any tax on what they produce or sell in our state. And APS was given a special property tax exemption and hasn't paid tax in the last three years.
37% od 1.5 billion in tax cuts the last 20 years have all gone to the top 1% of earners in Arizona.
I am still paying taxes, you are still paying taxes, but this is how the republicans have chosen to spend our tax money. Give our money away to rich and big corporations. We don't get services, education, parks, programs that will help our rural kids here in Benson. No, but country-club nabobs up in Phoenix get tax breaks.
It's not so much that we need a tax increase or a new sales tax. No, if the republicans would stop giving away our tax money to those who don't need it, valuable programs that help our kids in school aand serve our vunerable seniors could be funded instead.
Your vote counts. Save our state. "