This year the Arcadia Student Government has set out to make a difference in our community.  We have teamed up with the Toys for Tots Literacy Program and the U.S.. Marine Corps, who provide books as well as teaching for children who haven't had the opportunity to learn to read.  All of this money goes directly back to the Phoenix metropolitan area.  Every one dollar donated equals one book.  Student governent has decided to donate $10 from each ticket for the 2009 prom to be donated to this program.  We hope to raise $5,000 for this program and that will only happen with help from all of our community.  If you can make a donation your help will be greatly appreciated and drop off your donation to the Arcadia office.

 

 

 Arcadia dance concert t-shirts will be for sale  at both lunches. The cost is $15 each, white American Apparel V-neck style.
 

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 2009 season
 
WHEN:  Wednesday, May 6th at 7:00 pm
 
WHERE:  At the home of Beth Wickstrom
 
             Address: 6651 N. Cardinal Drive East
             Telephone: 480 948-1684
 
RSVP   Beth Wickstom  bwick55@msn.com 
          

Dear Parents and Friends of Public Education,
 
As you may have read in the paper, the House leadership came up with a budget proposal yesterday.  They said that they do not have the votes to pass it as it is, and instead view this as a starting point for discussion.  So here are the starting points in brief: 
K-12 public education will take a $175 (House proposal) million - $215 (Senate proposal) million lump sum cut.  School districts could take the cut any way they want.
$300 million will be "swept" from funds managed at the local level.  The thought here is that if school districts have money "left over" at the end of the fiscal year, the State should be able to use it to backfill the debt.  Unfortunately, this idea totally fails to consider that those "unspent" funds are actually dollars purposely set aside to attend to unforeseen maintenance and operations issues, or dollars already committed for a later date in time.
$129 million in school funding shifted from the state onto local homeowner property taxes.
There will be no funds for either enrollment growth or teacher Career Ladder.
There is no discussion of keeping the revised utilities funding formula passed last year, even without attached dollars.
What does that mean for you, the common public education advocate?  It means it is time to contact your representatives!  Our specific issues of the week are fund sweeping and the utilities formula. 
 
Sweeping local funds is both irresponsible and illogical.  It will put districts in the same situation you would find yourself in if your bank balance were suddenly $0.00; you have no credit card, and your sewer line breaks.  Can't fix it; can't live there with it broken...  This is simply not a solution to our problems, and our representatives need to find another answer.
 
While they are looking for that, we need to encourage them all to hold safe the utilities funding formula.  While we can all agree that the formula will likely not be funded this year, keeping it on the books as law will enable funding at some future date when times are better, without having to go back to the drawing board to reinvent a funding mechanism.  Please be sure to contact Sen. Barb Leff and Rep. Michele Reagan, last year's bill sponsors.  Thank them for their hard work last year, and express your support to them for preserving this formula even without funding this year.
 
The situation right now at the Capitol is fluid and ever changing.  Your continuing and consistent communications with your representatives make a difference so please keep going!  As we hear of opportunities to go to committee meetings at the Capitol we will let you know, although you will probably get less than one day's notice. As of this morning, the House is planning an Appropriations committee meeting for Wednesday or Thursday.  We will contact you when we get confirmation that a hearing will be held.  Please do what you can to be present when we call you out, and to politely communicate as often as you can with your legislators.
 
 
Together we can make a difference!
Francesca Thomas, SPC VP Legislative Liaison