| There is a lot of discussion in the news and especially | | | | candidates with college degrees and the skills to |
| in school districts across the nation about per student | | | | succeed. Otherwise, the businesses will not succeed. |
| spending rates. As noted in the Business Journal of | | | | Historically in such situations, businesses eventually |
| Phoenix, these rates have doubled over the past 30 | | | | relocate to areas that graduate higher-skilled high |
| years, yet test scores and graduation rates have | | | | school graduates, knowing that many will return to the |
| remained the same. | | | | area after college. Currently, Phoenix schools, along |
| The Phoenix schools would not know what doubling | | | | with the remainder of the state, are consistently |
| the per student spending rate might do for the | | | | ranked at the bottom nationally for the number of |
| achievement of their students. They, along with the | | | | students who graduate from high school. Is it any |
| rest of the state's schools, rank 49th in per student | | | | wonder that businesses are concerned. |
| spending - next to the bottom! This is according to the | | | | Many parents seek alternatives to the Phoenix |
| Quality Counts 2004 study by Education Week. | | | | schools, unhappy with the school system. Many home |
| Currently, the Arizona legislators have the opportunity | | | | school their children. Some move to specific areas in |
| to correct this grossly unjust oversight but are still in | | | | order to enroll their children into better schools. For |
| debate. The state has a $1.2 billion budget surplus to | | | | those parents who can afford it, their children attend |
| spend. The Phoenix schools and the other schools in | | | | private schools. The majority, however, are stuck in |
| Arizona are in dire need of this money, which is a | | | | the Phoenix schools, because they cannot afford to |
| nationally known fact. The state is becoming a laughing | | | | do otherwise. |
| stock over its neglected educational system. Yet, | | | | The legislature will definitely increase spending for |
| those in the State Capitol are debating between using | | | | education this year for K-12, of which the Phoenix |
| the surplus for education funding, in support of | | | | schools will receive their portion. With all the attention |
| biosciences, or property tax cuts. All areas are | | | | on per student spending, how can they do otherwise? |
| important to the state and in need of funding relief; | | | | Yet, will the allocated increase be enough? Without |
| however, as in the Phoenix schools, if you do not | | | | quality education in the Phoenix schools, many of the |
| graduate students prepared for college and the | | | | youth of Phoenix will be destined to low-wage, |
| workplace, the state's economy will suffer in the future. | | | | dead-end jobs with little opportunity to succeed. Very |
| Business groups see education in the Phoenix schools | | | | few will even consider college, let alone fulfilling such a |
| as top priority. They know that to survive in business | | | | dream. |
| today, and especially tomorrow, it takes qualified job | | | | |