Guiding principles and framework
PURPOSE STATEMENT: Arizona must redesign its school finance system so that it supports increasingly higher levels of learning in all public schools.
ABEC BELIEVES that Arizona's comprehensive public school finance system should exhibit
1. PRINCIPLE: FAIRNESS for all students and taxpayers
FRAMEWORK: revenue and funding structures that
a. minimize the relationship between property wealth and resources for students;
b. minimize the relationship between the type of school attended and resources for students;
c. take into account the needs of students with unique challenges; and
d. create balanced and steady revenue streams for education.
2. PRINCIPLE: SUFFICIENT RESOURCES to meet expectations for student achievement
FRAMEWORK: a funding level that
a. allocates enough resources for schools to educate all students to the expectations stated in the state and federal school accountability system; and
b. allocates enough resources for schools and districts to meet all state and federal statutory requirements.
3. PRINCIPLE: FLEXIBILITY for districts and schools in the use of resources
FRAMEWORK: a funding structure and enabling statutes, rules, and regulations that
a. provide most resources in a way that allows for maximum flexibility, creativity, and experimentation by districts and schools; and
b. tie flexibility to a set of meaningful fiscal and academic accountability measures.
4. PRINCIPLE: REWARDS innovation and efficiencies
FRAMEWORK: a funding structure that
a. promotes rewards to individuals, groups, or schools that show significant measureable growth in student learning; and
b. removes barriers to the effective and efficient use of resources.
5. PRINCIPLE: TRANSPARENCY in all aspects of the system
FRAMEWORK: a comprehensive public school finance system that
a. provides accessible, meaningful, and useful information to the public and all stakeholders on how money is spent; and
b. is open to analyses and publication about effective uses of resources for increasing student learning.