SUSD’s Legislative-Regulatory Agenda for 2003-2004
Adopted Oct. 7, 2003
In support of our vision and
strategy, and in order to accomplish our goals and mission, the Scottsdale
Unified School District will focus its efforts and address the following legislative
and regulatory issues:
- Oppose unfunded legislative mandates
and advocate for legislation to
remove overly restrictive regulations and unfunded mandates as they relate
to public schools.
- Oppose efforts to transfer retirees from the Arizona
State Retirement System’s health plan to local school districts’
health plans.
- Advocate for the preservation of community
governance of school districts through elected representation and oppose efforts to erode the authority of local
governing boards.
- Support efforts to increase, within five years,
state funding per student to a level that meets the national
median.
- Advocate a thorough review and comprehensive
revision of the state school finance formula to reflect the actual
costs of the individual educational needs of all students, notably,
but not limited to the following areas: special education, English
language learners, gifted and talented, at-risk students, and vocational
and career programs.
- Advocate a revision of the state school finance
formula to provide for re-evaluation of the school finance formula on a
regular basis to adjust the weighting factors as necessary.
- Support efforts to maintain M&O funding
requirements, including the annual 2 percent inflation cost, prescribed by
Prop. 301.
- Support efforts to have the legislature
conclude its budget process no later than March 1, in order to
allow local districts to comply with statutory deadlines related to
employment notifications, contracts, and budgets.
- Oppose legislation that would reduce or divert
Medicaid in Public Schools (MIPS) reimbursement dollars from school
districts.
- Support a complete examination of Arizona’s
current tax system and a comprehensive tax reform proposal
implemented to adequately address the needs of public education.
- Work with others to seek legislation
that addresses issues related to the implementation of Students FIRST,
notably in the areas of building renewal funds, with a focus on energy
conservation.
- Work with others to develop a mechanism
that adequately funds utility costs.
- Support legislation that fully funds the career
ladder program by providing adequate funding that supplements, rather
than supplants, current funding.
- Support legislation that maintains the
authority at the school district level to adequately fund civil rights
compliance.