Diaz Applauds School Funding Decision

PHOENIX – A Maricopa County Superior Court Judge ruled on Wednesday that Arizona's system for building and maintaining public schools has been unconstitutionally underfunded during decades of Republican legislative leadership. Arizona State Senator Eva Diaz (LD22), ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee, released the following statement applauding the decision:

“The Court concludes that the current public school capital finance system does not meet the constitutional minimum standards established by the Arizona Supreme Court.”

“The Courts have officially ruled on a lawsuit that has been brought on by our fearless school districts and education stakeholders to demonstrate how much Republican leadership has grossly failed to ensure our students have a safe environment to learn in. We have known this for far too long and did not need to wait for the Courts to make an official ruling, but now Republicans have no excuses to continue to ignore the dire need of our public schools.

It is incomprehensible that something as common sense as sufficiently funding public schools so educators and students are not learning in environments that cannot withstand 100+ degree weather or preventing exposure of mold and asbestos has gone ignored and overlooked for decades. Our state, and furthermore, our nation has a constitutional obligation to ensure that every child has access to a free and appropriate public education. No public education is appropriate when it fails to provide a SAFE learning environment.

I strongly urge my Republican colleagues in the Legislature to work in a bipartisan manner with the Democratic Caucus and Governor Hobbs to address this issue promptly. We must share this issue as a top priority.”